Monroe County Community College to host commencement ceremony Friday

Monroe County Community College will hold its 55th commencement ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, April 29, in the Gerald Welch Health Education Building at MCCC’s main campus, 1555 S. Raisinville Rd.

"We are expecting 400 graduates for the 2021-22 academic year. Of those, 113 graduates will be participating in commencement," Tracy Vogt, registrar, said.

The keynote address will be given by Congressman Tim Walberg, R-Ida.

Student addresses will be made by graduation candidates Levi Couch and Presley Bergmooser, who will both be introduced by their faculty mentor, Mark Bergmooser.

Kevin Thomas, retiring instructor of culinary arts and food service education, has been awarded the position of honorary grand marshal for the ceremony.

“This traditional honor is peer-awarded and bestowed upon a full-time faculty member who is held in high academic and personal esteem for his or her contributions to the institution,” MCCC said. “He will carry a ceremonial mace that was created and donated to the college by River Raisin Wood Carvers.”

Thomas will retire from his faculty position effective May 6, after serving as full-time instructor of culinary arts for almost 35 years. Throughout his career at MCCC, he taught a wide variety of culinary courses, helping hundreds of students to develop academically as well as personally.

“Under Thomas’s leadership, MCCC’s culinary students received invaluable on-the-job experience by putting on buffets and running the on-campus Cuisine 1300 restaurant that were open to the community,” MCCC said. “Thomas also involved his students in the catering of special events on the MCCC campus, such as various dedications, ceremonies and The Foundation at MCCC events, as well as off campus and in the community, including partnerships with local organizations and several trips to the Michigan State Capitol for Community College Day to provide lunch for legislators and community college leaders from across the state.”

Thomas was also instrumental in the creation of MCCC’s Bacchus Society and V1300 vineyard and played a key role in the success of an annual fundraiser put on by The Foundation at MCCC titled “Reds, Whites and Blues.”

Thomas was named Outstanding Faculty of the Year for 1990-1991.

Other ceremony officials will include Dr. Matt Bird-Meyer, the 2021-22 Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award winner, as faculty marshal; Dr. Scott Behrens, vice president of enrollment management and student success, as student marshal, and Dr. Grace Yackee, vice president of instruction, as platform party marshal and mistress of ceremonies.

The 2022 Alumnus of the Year Award will be presented to Julie Beste-Walz.

The award, said MCCC, recognizes and honors outstanding alumni who have made significant contributions to their career field, community and the college. The MCCC Board of Trustees established the Alumnus of the Year Award in 1996.

Beste-Walz earned an associate of applied science degree in nuclear engineering technology from MCCC in 2016. She became the first student in the MCCC Nuclear Engineering Technology program to be hired by DTE Energy and now serves as a licensing analyst at the company, working on a number of projects that include the Fermi 2 Power Plant license renewal and the Fermi 3 Combined Operating License Application, which has resulted in a Combined Operating License. She also serves as the records and corrective actions coordinator for Major Enterprise Projects.

Beste-Walz has earned two awards for performance excellence at DTE Energy and a Six Sigma Black Belt from the University of Michigan.

As an active member of the M/CCC community, Beste-Walz has served as a keynote speaker at the State of the College event on behalf of MCCC President Dr. Kojo A. Quartey and volunteered time to assist with the informational campaign about the college’s 5-Year Maintenance and Improvement Millage.

She has served as secretary of the Michigan-Ohio American Nuclear Society, as well as treasurer on the society’s executive committee for multiple years; is a member of the Women in Nuclear organization that is involved in educational math science outreach in Michigan schools; volunteered with St. Patrick School and the Ypsilanti Yankee Air Museum Rosie the Riveter Guinness Book of World Records event, and helped earn DTE Energy Foundation grants for these non-profit partners.

She and her husband, Brian, are the parents of two boys – Garrick, who earned an advanced welding certification at MCCC, and Graham, who is an 11th-grader at Jefferson High School.

In her spare time, she volunteers to assist St. Anne’s Catholic Church, the Salvation Army, Military Families of Monroe County, the Monroe County Lake Erie Muskrat Run, the Humane Society of Monroe, Habitat for Humanity and Habitat Women Build events, and Jefferson High School.

In her nomination, Beste-Walz was described as “highly engaged, loyal, hardworking, determined” and “always willing to roll up her sleeves and support a worthy cause and jump in to support things she feels real passion for like Monroe County Community College.” The nomination further stated that “Julie always has a smile on her face and is committed to serving others.”

Degrees will be conferred by MCCC President Dr. Kojo A. Quartey as the candidates are presented by Yackee.

The Agora Chorale, conducted by Catherine Brodie and accompanied by Alyce Sangster, will perform “Ad Astra” by Jacob Naverud. The College/Community Symphony Band, conducted by Mark Felder, will open the ceremony with Edward Elgar’s “Fanfare and Processional” (also known as “Pomp and Circumstance”) and conclude the program with “Fanfare and Recessional” by James Ployhar.

MCCC’s Board of Trustees include: Chair Lynette Dowler, Vice Chair Aaron Mason, Secretary Krista Lambrix and trustees William T. Bruck, Florence Buchanan, Steven Hill and Mary Kay Thayer.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe County Community College Class of 2022 to graduate Friday