500+ Graduates in BBCC’s 50th Year

Commencement Speaker, Katherine Kenison

For Immediate Release
June 4, 2012
Contact: Doug Sly, 509-793-2003

500+ Graduates in BBCC’s 50th Year

Big Bend Community will reach a milestone of having more than 500 graduates in its 50th year.

The college will set records for graduates and degrees awarded in 2012 (some students earn two degrees). A record number of Running Start students also get a diploma from BBCC this spring, according to college officials.

Commencement for the Class of 2012 will be held at 7 p.m. June 15 in the Peter D. DeVries Activities Center. Commencement speaker is Katherine Kenison, a local municipal attorney who served 13 years on the BBCC Board of Trustees.

The 519 graduates in 2012 have earned 550 degrees, compared to 480 graduates earning 507 degrees in 2011.

There will be 47 Running Start graduates, compared to 32 last year. These students receive a high school diploma and a BBCC associate degree at the same time.

College officials said record enrollment two and three years ago combined with programs to keep students in school contributed to the increase in graduates in 2012 and 2011. Since 2010 the number of BBCC graduates has increased 38 percent.

This year the oldest BBCC graduate is 60, and the youngest is 17. Students hail from 58 Washington cities, six states, and two other countries.