Western Nebraska Community College holds its 83rd graduation commencement ceremony starting at 4:00 p.m. inside the Cougar Palace at the WNCC Scottsbluff Campus, 1601 East 27th Street.
The ceremony opens with a performance of Flourish for Wind Band performed by the Western Nebraska Wind and conducted by WNCC Band Director Dr. Nathaniel Johnson, followed by their performance of Burnished Gold and Army Blue during the processional. Collegiate Chorale, conducted by Music Program Director Rita Stinner, will further set uplifting mood with an arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner featuring soloist Victor Garza, Jr. of Mitchell, NE.
Graduation 2014After a special welcome message from WNCC President Dr. Todd Holcomb, music again fills the air with a Collegiate Chorale rendition of “Let it Go” from the Disney film Frozenfeaturing soloist Maggie Hopp of Scottsbluff, NE. Western Community College Area Board of Governors Chair Timothy H. Daniels then introduces Dr. Eugene Hughes to provide the commencement address.
A Nebraska native, Dr. Hughes spent his childhood summers working the family farm with his grandfather before graduating from Scottsbluff Junior College in 1954. He has since earned the Nebraska Community College Association 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award with a career focused on serving and uplifting those less advantaged.
Two hundred ninety-three students will participate in this year’s ceremony. That number includes students from August 2014, December 2014, May 2015, and August 2015 expected graduates. “Our faculty and staff work closely with the students,” says Vice President of Student Services Susan Yowell. “We sometimes know things about them, the struggles individual students have had, and watching them walk across the stage is a wonderful thing. Having their families there to celebrate with them is great.”