Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC), a Maricopa Community College, will celebrate the academic accomplishments of Estrella Mountain’s Class of 2011 at its fifteenth annual commencement ceremony to be held May 13, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. at the Goodyear Ballpark, 1933 South Ballpark Way, Goodyear, AZ. The ceremony recognizes the students, who will be receiving 631 degrees and 506 certificates in a variety of disciplines. (Numbers through April, 2011.)
The student-developed theme, “Believe, Achieve, Serve, Lead,” honors the wide variety of EMCC students who believe in themselves, and, despite challenges large and small, work to achieve their goals by pursuing a higher education. Students are empowered to learn, motivated to seek change, challenged to reach their goals, and ultimately achieve success because of their determination, hard work and focus. Estrella Mountain Community College students, as well as students graduating from other Maricopa Community Colleges, leave prepared to transfer to a four-year university or to begin their careers with skills obtained through occupation-specific programs. These achievements are recognized at the commencement ceremony.
This year’s program will include a welcome and introduction given by College President, Dr. Ernest Lara; comments from student speaker, Verta Tucker; comments from Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board President Randolph S. Elias Lumm; and a commencement address given by Ms. Pearl Boothe Williams, founding faculty and former division chair for Developmental Education at EMCC. The conferring of degrees and certificates will follow. The national anthem will be sung by student Natasha Hudson, and a musical interlude will be sung by student Andrea Sanchez.