Great Bay Community College celebrates Class of 2023 in graduation ceremonies

PORTSMOUTH — Great Bay Community College celebrated its 77th commencement Saturday in two ceremonies. Two hundred and eighty-seven degrees and certificates with conferred with 160 students walking.

Cheryl Lesser, president of GBCC, said, “I have recognized, and truly come to appreciate, that our students, faculty, and staff are passionate people and compassionate people. There is an incredible warmth and dedication displayed for all who walk through our doors.” Referring to the institution as “thoughtful” and serving the community with pride, she continued, “Faculty, staff, and students have shown strength, resilience, and intelligence while rising to meet the challenges in our classrooms, our community, and obstacles in the wider world.”

The Class of 2023 student speaker during the morning ceremony was Timothy Warokka, graduating with an associate in arts degree in business administration. Warokka talked about his difficulty in deciding to go to a community college. “Growing up in an Asian household, my parents “expected me to get straight A’s, to know these math equations, and to finish top of my class ... like many parents, they had big dreams for their child to attend prestigious schools. But the decision, the choice was mine to make because it’s my life, it’s my story. And as I began my journey here at Great Bay Community College, I quickly realized that I had found a community, a new family. Despite my parents living across the globe, in Indonesia, this community college has become a home away from home for me. And I suspect that many of you feel the same way.”

While at GBCC, Warokka was a member of the International Club, worked as a tutor in the Center for Academic Planning and Support and volunteered at the College’s Gather Café where he saw firsthand what the organization does to prepare meals for the local community. “With my experience at the Gather Café, he said, “I have found that a small act of kindness can have a very large impact on someone else.”

Student speaker Shannon Obrey addressed the graduates at the afternoon ceremony. A graduate of the nursing program, she enrolled in Great Bay at the encouragement of her husband and the realization that she wanted to complete the degree she had started at one point.

“Being a non-traditional student, an adult learner among other adult learners, has made me into a better student, a better human, and ultimately will make me a better nurse,” she said. “Bonding with and learning from other students who each have their own story that brought them here. Their own life lessons. Their own real-world experience. That’s the magic of community college no one tells you about.”

“That magic” she continued also “extends beyond its well-respected nursing program. The culture here is one that I wanted my stepsons to also experience. Jackson will be starting the welding program in the fall. And I couldn’t be more excited for him to learn in such an environment as the one this school provides.”

Noelle Lambert, a U.S. Paralympic National Team member, "Survivor" season 43 contestant, and founder of The Born to Run Foundation was the keynote speaker at both ceremonies. She shared details on injuring her leg in a moped accident only to return to become the first above-knee amputee to ever play collegiate lacrosse and then going on to training to qualify for the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Team.

“I credit my return entirely to my teammates and my coaches” said Lambert, who is from Londonderry. “They were the ones believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”  She then shared with the graduates, the key lessons learned that have enabled her to overcome diversity, “becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable, applying yourself 100% to everything you do and when experiencing self-doubt, use it as motivation. ... Always give 100% when starting new journeys. You don’t want to look back one day and realize you could’ve done more or have any doubts with your life.”

In reflecting on her GBCC experience, nursing graduate Heather Burwell understands the benefits of relying on the support of others to reach a goal.

She came to GBCC for the highly recommended nursing program. “My mother had recently been diagnosed with a degenerative disease and I wanted to be able to take care of her as long as possible at home. In the four years I have been at GBCC I have had the best support system. They all were there for me and also pushed me to be better.”  After graduating and passing the NCLEX, she has accepted a job in the operating room at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.

Graduate Nick Mixon agrees. He was skeptical when his father prodded him to attend an open house at Great Bay Community College.

“I figured, ‘I can make plenty of money without school,’ and ‘School is a scam.’ But I quickly learned that it’s not a scam,” said Mixon, who graduated with an associate in arts in chemistry. “We have a great team of educators here at Great Bay. They’ve helped me change my life.”

This fall, he plans to enroll at the University of New Hampshire. Long term, he’s got his sights set on a Ph.D.

Distinguished members of the collegecCommunity and honored guests on the platform at both ceremonies included Lesser, keynote speaker Noelle Lambert, Community College System of NH Trustees Sharon Harris and Alison Stebins, and Steven Slovenski, GBCC Advisory Board Members Christine Carberry and Christine Strong, Associate VP of Academic and Student Affairs John Boggs and Lisa McCurley, VP of academic affairs.

To open the ceremonies, Natalie Blackington, Great Bay alumna, Class of 2014, led commencement with the singing of the national anthem.

GBCC recognizes award winners at 2023 commencement

The Chancellor’s Award for Service Excellence was presented to: Geoffrey Stone, technical support specialist.

The Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence was presented to: Mike Harrison, information system technologies program coordinator/associate professor.

The President’s Award for Outstanding Adjunct was presented to: Kimberly Mihelich, nursing clinical adjunct.

The President’s Award for Outstanding Student was presented to: nursing program graduate, Rebekah Greason.

Academic awards were presented to students with the highest GPA in their program.

Accounting A.S. degree: Christina Osborne

Analytics A.S. degree: Alexander Ferris

Bioengineering A.S. degree: Benjamin Harris

Biological Science A.S. degree: Amelia Taggart

Biotechnology A.S. degree: Trinity Minard

Business Administration A.S. degree: Brennan Garland

Chemistry A.A. degree: Nicholas Mixon

Computer Technologies A.S. degree: Alija Karki

Criminal Justice A.S. degree: Ailish Kelliher

Digital Media Communications A.S. degree: Jacob Vanamburgh

Early Childhood Education A.S. degree: Sara Weeks

Engineering, A.S. degree: Alexander Ferris

English A.A. degree: Catherine Moloney

Environmental Science A.S. degree: Michele Adams

Fine Arts, A.A. degree: Kelly Johnson

Information Systems Technology A.S. degree: Fritz Warokka

Liberal Arts A.A. degree: Elsa Le Blanc

Psychology A.A. degree: Samantha Lewis

Teacher Preparation A.A. degree: Amanda Walters

Technical Studies A.S. degree: Richard Cavannaugh

Nursing A.S. degree: Rebekah Greason

Surgical Technology A.S. degree: Alicia Bold

Veterinary Technology A.S. degree: Brooklyn Johns

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Great Bay Community College celebrates Class of 2023