CCC president, Dr. Maurice B. Hickey, will preside over the commencement exercises. Extending greetings to the graduates will be Nina D. Coolidge, chair of the CCC Board of Trustees, Michael Helinger, professor math and science, on behalf of the CCC Faculty Council, and Dr. Celine R. Paquette, a member of the SUNY Board of Trustees and for the Clinton County Legislature. Student Senate President Justin Turner will address the 2006 graduates, followed by Student Speaker, Kari B. Pearsall, valedictorian of the Class of 2006.
Professor Helinger will lead the graduation processional from the main academic building carrying the ceremonial Mace and accompanied by members of the Champlain District Bagpipe Band.
The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching will be presented to Catherine Eloranto, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice. Eloranto began her outstanding teaching career at CCC in 2002. An experienced lawyer and judge, she has sixteen years in the criminal justice arena with two years as a district attorney. Of her many accomplishments at the College, Eloranto initiated and developed a well-received conference on campus, entitled "Making a Difference: Women in Criminal Justice Careers." She is a devoted professional not only to her academic field, but also to her students, colleagues and the College as a whole.
The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service will be presented to Peter Grosskopf, Assistant in Continuing Education. Grosskopf began his career at CCC in 2001 as an Internship Coordinator/Career Specialist. In his first year, Grosskopf established the Academic Business Council and their semi-annual breakfast meetings, just one of his many contributions. He has also chaired a number of committees, including the 2004 United Way Committee, the CCC Talent Show Committee and he co-chaired the Student Activities Board.
The Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence will be presented to Robin Belanger of West Chazy, a December 2005 graduate. She graduated with high honors and was named class valedictorian. Robin earned an Associate of Arts degree in humanities and social science. On April 10th, Chancellor John R. Ryan honored Robin, along with 270 students from 62 SUNY campuses, with the 2006 Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. These awards are given out annually to students who earn a Grade Point Average of 3.78 or higher and record a significant contribution to their campus or local community.
The College's Alumni Association will present the 2006 Distinguished Alumni Award to Associate Professor in Art / Fine Arts Coordinator Mark Davison. Davison graduated from Clinton Community College in 1983 with an A.S. in Humanities and Social Science. He received a B.S. in Studio, from Plattsburgh State University in 1985, an M.A. in 1988, and M.F.A. in 1989, from University of Iowa. Davison is a board member of the Council on the Arts for Clinton County, the CCC Foundation and is president of the CCC Alumni Association. Davison received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2004 , and he was listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers in 2002. Davison holds a number of awards for his artwork and is respected for his art related activities.
Scott Burnam, Academic Services Specialist and Faulty Council President will present the graduation candidates for 2006. President Hickey and CCC Board of Trustees Chair, Nina Coolidge will confer degrees. This year's graduating class has 60 students with Honors and 21 students with High Honors. Forty-four students are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the National Honor Society of the Two-Year College.
The Class of 2006 valedictorian is Kari B. Pearsall. Pearsall will graduate with an A. A. in Humanities and Social Science. Christina N. DeJesus is the Class of 2006 salutatorian graduating with an A. A. S. in Medical Laboratory Technology.
Musical selections will be performed by the College Chorale under the direction of Saundra Stortz and accompanied by Meghan L. Bosley. The College Chorale will sing a selection entitled, "River in Judea," by Marcus and Feldman. Jordan Phinney, a graduate of the Medical Laboratory Technology program, will sing the National Anthem.
For the first time in its' history, the College is using a ticket system for students and their guests attending the commencement ceremony. However, a live broadcast of the graduation ceremony will be provided in the auditorium of the Stafford Center for Art, Science and Technology where no tickets are required. People wishing to view the graduation in Stafford Center auditorium are encouraged to go there directly upon arrival on campus.
Family and friends are invited to join the graduates for refreshments under the tent just outside of the gymnasium following the commencement exercises.
Clinton Community College is a comprehensive residential college of approximately 2300 students located on historic Bluff Point overlooking Lake Champlain 2 ½ miles south of Plattsburgh, New York. Clinton is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting, supporting, and fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff and students. Clinton is a unit of the State University of New York System.
Proudly celebrating forty years of accessible, quality, education!