Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College honored 80 students as fall 2021 and spring 2022 graduates at the college’s commencement ceremony May 7 in Moorefield.
Thirty-five of the graduates participated in the ceremony, including all 14 graduates of the 2022 nursing program cohort. The nursing graduates had participated in the nursing program’s pinning ceremony May 6, where Kari Evans of Grant Memorial Hospital had served as keynote speaker.
Speakers for the graduation ceremony included president Thomas Striplin, Ed.D., board of governor’s chairman Greg Greenwalt, student Shayla Hartman and Hardy County Schools Superintendent Sheena Van Meter, who delivered the commencement address. Van Meter told the graduates and those in attendance that their families and communities were better and stronger because of the efforts and achievements of the graduates.
Two awards were given at the ceremony, according to the press release. The APEX Award honors organizations serving citizens, employers, and communities of the Potomac Highlands. Phyllis Baxter, executive director of Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA), accepted the award on behalf of the organization. AFNHA works to conserve, interpret, and promote forest heritage to enhance the landscapes and communities in the region.
The Harold K. Michaels Founders Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to the college, and this year college employees Michael O’Leary and Curtis Hakala were both recognized.