LCCC’s 58th Commencement Day shows continued growth of school

Lorain County Community College honored its most recent graduates during the 58th Commencement Day in school history on May 14 inside the Ewing Fieldhouse.

The class of 2022 included 1,773 individuals earning 2,193 associate degrees or certificates and an additional 351 earning bachelor’s or master’s degrees from the University Partnership.

Many first-generation graduates are part of the Lorain County Early College High School (ECHS) program, which provides an opportunity for students to earn a high school diploma and associate degree at the same time. This year, 127 students earned an associate degree or certificate at the same time they complete high school through ECHS or other dual enrollment programs, including College Credit Plus and Career Technical Education. These programs are delivered at no cost to students, saving families more than $1.3 million in tuition.

Lorain County Community College opened its doors in 1966.

Paul Gonzalez, Jonathan Ellis, Cody Wootton and Kurtis Jeffries became the second class to graduate from LCCC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Microelectronic Manufacturing (MEMS) degree program. LCCC has been training students in the field since 2013, when it became the first community college to offer an associate degree in MEMS, and made history again in 2018 as the first community college to deliver an applied bachelor’s degree in the area.

“These graduates are building a workforce pipeline that makes Lorain County and our region an important link in the production of microchips and semi-conductors,” Lorain County Community College President Dr. Marcia Ballinger said.

All four MEMS bachelor’s degree graduates have been working in industry-related positions part time while in the program, which costs less than $15,000, and those positions will transition to full time with benefits after they graduate.

Since 2000, Lorain County has experienced a 77% increase in the number of residents with bachelor’s degrees. Adding to that increase are the four graduates who today earned their bachelor of applied science degrees directly from LCCC.

As Ballinger concluded today’s ceremony, she encouraged graduates and their guests to visit the SOAR outdoor display. That’s the acronym (Success and Opportunity Advancing the Region) for what LCCC and other schools are trying to do as society moves forward in the throes of a pandemic.

The 200-foot-long installation of 2,022 sculpted birds was designed to celebrate the class of 2022, the University Partnership’s 25th anniversary, and LCCC’s commitment to student success and advancing Northeast Ohio, through education and career training.