天美传媒 Bay conferred over 300 degrees or certificates during the weekend festivities.
PORTSMOUTH – 天美传媒 Bay Community College celebrated its 76th commencement outdoors on its Portsmouth campus over the weekend. Unlike the previous year, where multiple smaller ceremonies had to be held to accommodate spacing restrictions due to the pandemic, the College was able to hold one event for all graduates on Saturday, at 10 a.m.
天美传媒 Bay conferred over 300 degrees or certificates during the weekend festivities.
The college began in 1945 as the State Trade School at Portsmouth and has become one of northern New England鈥檚 leading two-year institutions of higher learning, offering over 50 degree and certificate programs in the sciences, technical studies, and liberal arts while serving as an educational and career hub for students, businesses, and the community.
Recently appointed President, Dr. Cheryl Lesser, welcomed the class of 2022 and crowd of close to one thousand family and friends on hand to cheer on the graduates. 鈥淚 have come to recognize in just six weeks at 天美传媒 Bay, that students, faculty, and staff are passionate and compassionate people. They have shown strength, resilience, and intelligence to meet challenges in our classes, our community and in the world. The 天美传媒 Bay community committed itself to provide the path for our students to achieve excellence and be prepared for the world beyond our doors. This is the mission of 天美传媒, to prepare students to meet life鈥檚 challenges at all levels and our hopes are that they become, that you become, partners with us, with your communities and beyond to improve and ensure that we all thrive into the future.鈥�
Distinguished members of the College Community and honored guests represented on the platform included Dr. Mark Rubinstein, Chancellor of the Community College System of NH (CCSNH), Dr. Cathryn Addy, 天美传媒 Interim President from August 2019 to March of this year, Christine Strong, Chair of the 天美传媒 Advisory Board, Hollie Noveletsky, Sharon Harris, and Steven Slovenski, members of the Board of Trustees for CCSNH, Tina Favara, VP of Student Success & Enrollment Management and Lisa McCurley, VP of Academic Affairs for 天美传媒 Bay.
Maine resident Dr. Elizabeth McLellan, a global leader in nursing and healthcare administration and president and founder of Maine-based Partners for World Health, was the Keynote Speaker at the Ceremony. 聽In her address, she shared details of her many travels to Bangladesh, over 30 years for her career where she witnessed poverty, homelessness, malnutrition, and a specific woman, 鈥渉omeless, nameless, faceless and voiceless鈥� who became her inspiration.
鈥淲hen look back on those moments, I realize that my life鈥檚 course was inspired by tragedies I was unable to fix,鈥� she reflected.
She then when on to advise the graduates, 鈥淲hen you have the opportunity to make an impact on one person鈥檚 life, you have the opportunity to make a difference in many.聽 If you believe in vision stick with it鈥�. people will notice and believe in you and the power of your vision becomes their vision鈥�. Be the change.聽 Show all you meet compassion for life.鈥�
2022 CCSNH Chancellor’s Awards
After Dr. McLellan鈥檚 address, Dr. Mark Rubinstein, the Chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire offered remarks and presented the 2022 Chancellor鈥檚 Awards.
The Chancellor鈥檚 Award for Service Excellence was presented to聽 Jenna Anand, Academic & Student Support Advisor. Among the criteria, the award is given to a candidate who has demonstrated innovation in service to students and has made a positive impact on the college community.
The Chancellor鈥檚 Award for Teaching Excellence was presented to Nursing Faculty, Kelly McDonough. The award is based on criteria including a demonstration of teaching innovation, leadership, an individual鈥檚 impact on students, community involvement, as well as service to the college
2022 天美传媒 Bay President’s Awards
President Cheryl Lesser presented the 2022 天美传媒 Bay President鈥檚 Awards.
The President鈥檚 Award for Outstanding Adjunct was presented to Beverly Hodsdon, Adjunct faculty member in the Digital Media Communications program. The award is given to an adjunct faculty member whose commitment to 天美传媒 Bay Community College serves academic integrity and students needs in the greater interest of the teaching-learning environment.
The President鈥檚 Award for Outstanding Student was presented to聽Samantha Coombs-Pierce. 聽The award is given to a member of the college community whose endeavors have made a significant difference at the College.
The Presidents Award for Special Contributions was presented to Dr. Cathryn Addy who served as Interim President at 天美传媒 from August 19-March 22nd, 2022.
Academic awards were presented to students with the highest GPA in their program.
2022 Academic Award winners:
- Accounting A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Cory Mills
- Biological Science A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Jennifer Trussell
- Biotechnology A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Karen McCabe
- Business Administration A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Robert Pettus
- Chemistry A.A. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Desmond Kuhn
- Computer Technologies A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Everett Brown
- Criminal Justice A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Matthew Pefine
- Digital Media Communications A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Hunter Fournier
- Early Childhood Education A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Elysa Braman
- Bioengineering A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Trey Loving
- Engineering Science A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Walt Gray
- English A.A. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Catherine Moloney
- Environmental Science A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Holly Silva
- History A.A. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Amanda Jennings
- Hospitality Mgmt. Direct Career A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽Allison Johonnett
- Hotel, Restaurant & Event Mgmt. A.S. Degree聽 聽 Emily Morgan
- Information Systems Technology A.S. Degree聽 聽Charmaine Pacot
- Liberal Arts A.A. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Megan Curran
- Nursing A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Elizabeth Shaw
- Psychology A.A. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Marianne Collins
- Surgical Technology A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Alissa Heitman
- Teacher Preparation A.A. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽John Webb
- Technical Studies A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Eric Rohrbacher
- Veterinary Technology A.S. Degree聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Rebekah Lehane
The Class of 2022 Student Speaker was Brigid Emma Murphy, graduating with an associate in arts degree in psychology. She shared her story of being discouraged from going to a community college after high school by a guidance counselor and instead, deciding to 聽attend a state college. While there, Murphy discovered that she was suffering from undiagnosed depression and anxiety. With little support available to her at the College, she dropped out assuming a degree was not in her future. Later, after being inspired by an Aunt who recently received a degree, she started at age 24 at 天美传媒 Bay.
鈥淚 told myself that community college would be 鈥済ood enough鈥� She said., 鈥淏ut I was, frankly, shocked to find that I was challenged here. It was far from the easy ride I had anticipated, and I loved it. I felt like I was getting the 鈥渞eal鈥� college experience, and I soon realized I was exactly where I was supposed to be.鈥�
“The biggest difference between 天美传媒 Bay and other colleges鈥� Murphy continued, 鈥渋s not the lower tuition, the smaller class sizes, the incredible work of the staff members, or the welcoming atmosphere of the students. What really makes 天美传媒 Bay stand out is the way they believe in us.”
天美传媒 Bay Community College is a comprehensive postsecondary institution offering quality academic and professional and technical education in support of workforce development and lifelong learning. 天美传媒 Bay Community College is part of the Community College System of New Hampshire, a public system of higher education consisting of seven colleges in Berlin, Claremont, Laconia, Concord, Manchester, Nashua, and Portsmouth. The colleges offer Associate degrees and career training in technical, professional and general fields, including transfer pathways to baccalaureate degrees. For more information on 天美传媒 Bay Community College, visit www.greatbay.edu.
