Delta College will hold its 48th annual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 1 at 7 pm in the Pioneer Gymnasium on its main campus.
Approximately 1,300 students will receive an associate degree and/or a certificate from the College this year. More than 46,000 people have graduated from Delta since it opened its doors in 1961.
Two exceptional students will provide comments during the program. They are: Sarah Tennyson and Shawn R. Truhett.
Tennyson of Saginaw plans to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, and she hopes to become an English teacher. She will graduate from Delta College as the first recipient of the Writing certificate.
She says her most memorable experience at Delta College was, “When I quit letting fear control me and took classes because I wanted to learn, not just succeed in them. The world of learning took on a whole new meaning.”
Truhett is graduating with an associate’s in Mechanical Engineering Technology, and says he originally came to Delta because it wasn’t far from work or home. But, he stayed at Delta because of the commitment that he experienced from the college instructors that helped in his success.
Truhett resides in Freeland and is employed with the Dow Corning Corporation.
Also during the ceremony, Myron W. Greene, a Deputy with the Midland County Sheriff’s Office, will receive the 2009 Delta College Distinguished Alumni Award.
Since 1994, Delta College has chosen a worthy graduate to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award during the commencement exercises. They are chosen because they serve as a role model, have reached significant career achievement, have demonstrated a long-lasting effect on business and/or the community, and have made a visible commitment to the Great Lakes Bay Region, the state, nation or world.
Greene graduated from the Delta College Police Academy in 1993, and received an Associate in Applied Science in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement from Delta in April 1995. He has worked full-time as a Deputy for the Midland County Sheriff’s Office since 1995.
“I am very honored and humbled to be the person selected for this award,” he added, “and proud to be a representative of law enforcement and Delta College.”
Past recipients of the award are:
2008 - Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2007 – Alice M. Gerard, Bay City
2006 – Dr. Jack Nash, Saginaw
2005 – Joseph Rivet, Bay City
2004 – Wilmer Jones Ham McZee, Saginaw
2003 – Joaquin Guerrero, Saginaw
2002 – Steven J. Morello, Saginaw
2001 – Dr. Audrey Stryker, Midland
2000 – Scott Seeburger, Midland
1999 – Paul A. Rowley, Bay City
1998 – Dr. Roger Kahn, Saginaw
1997 – Penny M. Phelps, Bay City
1996 – Charles E. Braddock, Saginaw
1995 – David R. Gamez, Saginaw
1994 – William J. Hargreaves, Midland
Often referred to as one of America’s leading community colleges, Delta College promotes academic excellence, and is known for exemplary programs, technological innovation, community leadership and graduates who make a difference. Since 1961, Delta College's educational efforts have significantly impacted the local economy. Of Delta’s 46,600 alumni, 62 percent live in the Tri-Counties and 87 percent in the state of Michigan.