VGCC honors Adult Basic Skills graduates
Vance-Granville Community College held commencement exercises honoring graduates of the college’s Adult Basic Skills programs on May 2 in the VGCC Civic Center. Those participating in the ceremony were among those students who have completed either the Adult High School Diploma program or the General Educational Development (GED) High School Equivalency program in the past year.
VGCC Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs Dr. Angela Ballentine welcomed graduates, families and friends to the celebration. Congratulating the graduates, Ballentine said, “when this ceremony is over, you will have a diploma, but it is not just a diploma. It is also a key that will open the doors of opportunity for each of you.” She encouraged graduates to continue their education at VGCC by enrolling in a curriculum degree, diploma or certificate program . Later, graduates heard remarks from someone who had done just that: Devonte Howard of Oxford, who completed the Adult High School Diploma program in 2010 and is currently enrolled in the VGCC Welding program . Howard recalled that he quit school in the twelfth grade but later decided to plot a “comeback.” “Being a high school dropout was not something I wanted to settle for,” Howard said. He enrolled at VGCC, earned an Adult High School Diploma, started a new job, and is now close to graduating from the Welding program. With support from his instructors and the VGCC Male Mentoring program, Howard became such a good student that he earned an endowed scholarship from the college. “Hard work, determination and sacrifice pay off in the long run,” Howard said.
George Henderson, the dean of VGCC’s Warren County Campus , was the principal commencement speaker. Henderson started his tenure at VGCC in 1998, working in the GED Testing and Adult Basic Skills programs. “As of this moment, you have almost boundless opportunities in front of you,” Henderson told graduates. “Now the question is: What are you going to do with this piece of education you have worked so hard to achieve? What is it in your life, in your community, in your state, in your world that needs to change, and what part will you play in it? To answer those questions, you must accept that the changing nature of society requires you to gain new skills, new understanding and new knowledge throughout your lives. You must continually invest in learning and self-improvement. Your community college, Vance-Granville Community College, is the best place to start the next phase of your education, because we offer so many options, both in courses of study and paths to achieve your goals.”
Following Henderson’s address, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, applauded the Basic Skills faculty for preparing students to succeed at the next level. As an extra incentive for graduates, she announced that each would receive a certificate worth free tuition and fees for one semester of courses in curriculum programs at VGCC, if they do not receive federal financial aid. “This certificate is our way of saying not only ‘Congratulations on a job well done,’ but also ‘Don’t stop! Keep going!’” the president said. After VGCC Adult Basic Skills department chair Cathy Barham announced the candidates for graduation, Dean of Academic & Career Pathways Vanessa Jones assisted President Williams in presenting diplomas.
Above: VGCC Adult Basic Skills graduates listen to commencement speaker George Henderson, the dean of the college’s Warren County Campus. (VGCC photo)
Above: VGCC Welding student Devonte Howard of Oxford speaks to this year’s graduates of the college’s Adult Basic Skills programs on May 2 in the Civic Center. (VGCC photo)
