245 Graduate From NMCC
See the WFFJ-TV News video of this event at www.wffjtv.com
By: David Deschesne
Fort Fairfield Journal, May 27, 2015
Northern Maine Community College held its commencement exercises at The Forum in Presque Isle on Saturday, May 16. 245 students graduated from the college.
The Commencement Speaker for this year's graduation was Luke Shorty, Executive Director, Maine School of Science and Mathematics. “I want to thank NMCC for inviting me to address the 2015 commencement and the graduating class. It is truly an honor for me to be a part of this celebration in recognition of the graduates' success.”
Bob Clark, Executive Director of the Maine Community College System presented a greetings from the board to the graduates. “Commencements are a day of celebration and it's an opportunity for all of us here today to share with you and your families an accomplishment that is of great significance; an accomplishment that affirms that Maine people are willing to work hard to achieve their dreams.”
The 2015 NMCC Student of the Year was Duska Kingsbury, a mother of six from Mars Hill. She said she looked into NMCC at the suggestion of her friend, who was in their nursing program. “I was curious as to the programs they offered. I came up and was shown the facility and kind of fell in love with the small, intimate feel of the campus. I started in the Liberal Studies program and I'm grateful that I took that step.”
As a non-traditional student, Duska returned to school after twenty years to attain a Liberal Arts degree in preparation for attending the University of Maine at Presque Isle for a degree in Social Work. “I've been accepted at UMPI and that's very exciting, it's another step in the process.”
Kingsbury said her most memorable times at NMCC were with the friends that she made while there. “Being a non-traditional student, I made both non-traditional student friends and I also made friends with students that were just out of [high school] because when you're in the classroom you all have the same goals. There's a feeling of camaraderie.
She identifies herself as a non-traditional student and describes that as one who has been out of school for a certain period of time then going back. “Traditional students have usually graduated high school and immediately go into a college of some sort. I went a year of college when I graduated but didn't really like it, didn't have much success with it and after twenty years decided to go back to school and have found great success.
This year's President's award went to Greg Thompson, NMCC Life Sciences Instructor. “Prior to Greg coming to work for us we contracted out our Anatomy/Physiology and Microbiology courses but the nursing faculty really felt we needed a full time instructor. With that directive I went out with a group of other folks and we hired Greg to come in. Greg has a passion for his work, for his students, for the institution. He's the best hire I ever made. He has provided a wonderful atmosphere for students to learn and grow in.”
Thompson currently serves on the safety committee, and has served on the faculty management committee for ten years. “He's been a steady, strong voice for faculty and the community on that committee.”
Also recognized were NMCC members of the All-Maine Academic Team, Samantha Buck and Joshua Pike. The Falcon Spirit Award went to Cade Patten.
After the ceremony, a reception was held for the graduates with plenty of food and snacks for family and friends.
To view a Fort Fairfield Journal television news video of this event, go to www.wffjtv.com
The 2015 NMCC graduating class
Early Childhood Education
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Samantha Lyn Buck*
Ashley Doucette
Janice Pictou*
Chantal Rioux*
Bonnie Stickeny*
Charlien Burson
Haley Knowles
Jacqueline Putnam*
Todd Stephenson*
Cortney Swan
Liberal Studies
Associate in Arts Degree
John Adams
Jennifer Ann Alvarez
April Dalbeck
Sasha Grass
Hillary Jackson
Jacob Lassonde
Cortney Swan
Anthony Viola
Hillary Albert*
Sonja Creasey
Tyler Gadaire*
Jesse Henderson*
Duska Kingsbury*
Suzanne St. Pierre-Donovan
Victoria Tanenbaum
Jon-Sebastian Weatherbee*
Accounting
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Keiza Bernaiche*
Jonathan Clayton
William Kemp III
Raechel Rockwell
Anjanette Walsh*
Brittany Clark
Amanda Graves
Cheryl Murchison*
Darcy St. Thomas
Accounting Information Systems
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Robin Baxter-Beckwith*
Annette Derry
Cheryl Marchand*
Heather Carnes*
Leslie Knox
Heather Stokes
Business Administration-Management
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Bret Butler
Heather Carnes*
Melissa Carson
Michelle Fournier*
Rebecca Grass
Garth Kinney
Brandon McDonald
Richard Mullen*
Robert Travers
Jeffery Wotton
Carla Cambridge*
Cassie Caron
Alexander Forbes
Hope Gagnon
Joshua Hitchcock
Chelsea Leighton
Gabriel Malave
Sean Robertson*
Kyle Vislosky
Entrepreneurship
Certificate
Bryan Romine
Medical Office Administration
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Sarah Brewer*
Jade McConnell*
Dallas Dutra
Katelyn Melvin
Office Assistant
Certificate
Bree Taylor
Emergency Medical Services
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Amy Dionne
EMT Intermediate
Certificate
John Adams
Paramedicine
Certificate
Lindsay Wilson
Community Paramedicine
Advanced Certificate
Colin Ayer*
Andrew Clark*
Michael Haven
Joshua Pobrislo*
Lori Thompson*
Evariste Bernier*
Blakeslee Davis*
Patrick Mendelsohn*
Daniel Svenson
Andrew Turcotte*
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Andrew Breitbeil*
Amy Gagnon
Nathaniel Contreras*
Michael Scherb*
Certificate
Christopher Copp*
Terri McGuire*
Health Information Management
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Jessica Caron
Michele Cloutier*
Katherine DuBois
Laken Kingsbury
Jill Smith*
Paula Walton
Ashley Chasse*
Ashley Doucette
Landon Jackins
Mariah Mockler
Michelle Tauer
Elmer Whittaker, Jr.
Medical Assisting
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Jaimee Amero*
Brittany Davies
Nicole Driscoll
Kenirae Fitzpatrick
Allison Little*
Anna Rossignol*
Michele Wilcox*
Heather Wright
Jenny Blackstone
Kimberly Drake*
Danielle Dudley*
Melissa Greenleaf
Christina McCrum
Cheryl Tarr*
Cierra Willette
Serena Wright*
Nursing
Associate in Science Degree
Stephanie Ball
Sarah Brennan
Stacey Brissette
Kristin Cousins
Megan Davis
Krystle Gadaire
Jolene Haugen*
Dakota Koch
Kristen McQuade
Becky Millett
Chelsea Quinn*
Donna Short
Casey Violette
Lillian Walker
Kaitlynn Wellington
Lauren Beckwith
Cara Brinkerhoff
Melissa Clapper
Kimberly Cushman*
Tammi Flint*
Leslie Hart
Torri Huston*
Theresa Beth Lint
Kate Michaud*
Meghan Murphy
Elizabeth Sewell*
Kayla Spooner
Emma Walker
Josie Watson
Jessica Wohlgemuth*
Automotive Collision Repair
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Neal Albert
Ryan Dyer
Cassandra Lunney
Christopher Weeks
Eliza Clark
Troy Lagasse
Joshua Nason
Certificate
Phillip Carleton*
Sean Muriel
Automotive Technology
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Cleo Bouchard
Jory Chamberland
Dylan Drost
Joshua Pike*
Candace Whitmore
Spencer Campbell
Kevin Demers
Keith McGraw
Christopher Weeks
Harley Wiggins
Certificate
Macy Dyer-Hill
Andrew White, Jr.
David Milliard
Computer-Aided Drafting Technology
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Ryan Bard
Grahm Michael Freme
Caleb Williamson*
Joshua Daigle*
Joshua Perry
Computer Electronics
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Jennifer Belanger*
Karl Casey
Matthew Jenkins
Jose Ocana
Nicholas Bragg*
Matthew Cox*
Joel Johndro*
Diesel Hydraulics Technology
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Joshua Blanchette
Justin Crockett
Kevin Demers
Garrett Hemphill
Benjamin Lynds
Hezekiah Myers
William Randall
Harley Wiggins
Travis Caron
Joseph Cushman
Michael deMontigny*
Ethan Jewell
Justin McGinley
Zachary Pryor
Kevin Strid
Certificate
William Frost
Zachary Hartin-Brown
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Christopher Bailey, Jr.
Isacc Brown
Jarrett Cannan
Paul Drost, Jr.
Marc LaJoie
Thomas Morin*
Ryan Picard
Matthew Till
Justin Beckwith
Kyle Burch
Julie Carney
Zachary Jones*
Bradley Long*
Darrin Murray
Carrie Saindon
Certificate
Joshua Holmes
Plumbing & Heating
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Christopher Edward Eriksson
Anthony Henderson
Eric Pemberton
Tim Golden
Aaron Legg
Michael Qualey
Heating
Certificate
Davina Dickinson*
Bryan Ouellette*
Plumbing
Certificate
Davina Dickinson*
Precision Metals Manufacturing
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Nicholas Bull
Jacob Crocker
Kurtis Gagnon*
Darren Knight
Brandon Maguire
Brett Stratton
Blaine Cooper
Ryan Cullins
Garth Johnson
Andrew Losiewicz
Matthew Martin
David Wentworth
Certificate
Andrew Thompson
Residential Construction
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Ethan Cushman*
Andrew Michaud
Shane Ellis
Michael Suggs
Structural Welding
Certificate
Tyler Chasse
Davina Dickinson*
Preston Jackson
Matthew Martin
Eliza Clark
Justin Guerette*
Cyle McCleary
Keith Michaud
Welding & Metal Fabrication
Certificate
Stephen Benbow*
Scott Browning*
Jesse Clark
Preston Jackson
Misty Polchies
Damien Boyce*
Thomas Cannon
Jerry Hayes
Shawn Myers
Allen St.Peter*
Wind Power Technology
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Shawn Bryant
Cade Patten*
Aaron Lapointe
*Honors graduate, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or greater
