11
Jun
2019
Nearly 500 Big Bend grads preparing to March Friday
MOSES LAKE —Graduates as old as 60, and as young as 17 will cross the stage Friday evening at the 2019 Big Bend Community College Commencement Ceremony to receive their degrees. The ceremony takes place at Lions Field in Downtown Moses Lake and will begin at 5:30 p.m. — an hour-and-a-half earlier than normal.
The 493 members of the Class of 2019 earned a total of 513 degrees and includes graduates from across the state of Washington, one from Canada and another from South Korea. Other states represented in the graduating class include Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Texas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Montana, North Dakota, and Oregon.
Also included are 115 Running Start students who have earned both a high school diploma and an associate degree during the last two years at Big Bend.
“This is an exciting time to celebrate the accomplishments of our students,” said BBCC Director of Communications Matt Killebrew. “But the honor isn’t their own. Many friends and family members have also sacrificed and struggled during this journey and should also join in the feeling of accomplishment.”
Addressing the 2019 graduating class will be 13th Legislative District Representative Alex Ybarra.
Alex graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and also holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He spent 14 years working for the Rocket Research Company as an engineer for military and aerospace products and is currently employed by the Grant County Public Utility District as their reliability and compliance auditor.
Alex has worked on several legislative task forces and state commissions, including his 2016 appointment by the governor to the state Commission on Hispanic Affairs. Active in his community, he serves as the director for the Quincy School Board and is the acting vice president for the Washington State School Directors Association.
Alex is a life-long resident of Quincy. His daughter, Micaela, is a full-time university student in Utah.
“I’m honored to be asked to give the commencement speech at the Big Bend Community College graduation ceremony,” Ybarra said. “My daughter, Micaela, graduated from Big Bend and Quincy High School last year as a Running Start student and is currently a successful upperclassman at BYU, Provo. Her success is a direct reflection of the rigorous curriculum practiced at Big Bend.”