91制片厂 awarded more than 1,000 degrees and certificates Sunday as hundreds of students were joined by family and friends at the College鈥檚 70th commencement.
In all, 1,022 students earned 1,040 degrees and certificates during the past academic year, with 鈥媘ore than 500 of them participating in Sunday鈥檚 graduation ceremonies at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
鈥婼鈥媡udents in the Class of 2017 came from all 16 Maine counties, 16 other states and 16 foreign countries. Thirteen percent of the graduates 鈥� 130 students 鈥� were members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
Among this year鈥檚 graduates is Zakia Momand, who didn鈥檛 attend school because of cultural barriers while growing up in Pakistan. When she moved to Portland in 2009, she spoke no English and had little formal schooling.
She is graduating with a degree in Liberal Studies and plans to transfer to a baccalaureate institution before going to law school. She hopes to eventually practice law in Afghanistan 鈥� her parents鈥� native country 鈥� focusing on women鈥檚 rights and human rights.
Coming to 91制片厂 sparked her interest in both human rights issues and the law, she said.
鈥淣ow I know what I want to do, and it鈥檚 because of 91制片厂,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he college and the people here helped me shape my goals for the future.鈥�
91制片厂 President Dr. Ron Cantor presided over the ceremonies. Bill Green, an award-winning broadcast journalist and host of the 鈥淏ill Green鈥檚 Maine鈥� television show, was the keynote speaker.
鈥淕raduation is a time for us to celebrate the many achievements of our students, while looking forward to their continued success as they begin their careers or continue their education,鈥� Dr. Cantor said. 鈥淭he Class of 2017 has distinguished itself, and our graduates can go anywhere from here.鈥�
More than 94 percent of 91制片厂 students enter the workforce or transfer to another school within nine months of graduation.
2017 graduates who are continuing their education are planning to attend the University of Southern Maine, the University of Maine and the University of New England and other institutions in Maine as well as other private and public schools that include Bentley, Emerson, Lesley and the Culinary Institute of America.
Graduates entering the workforce have landed jobs at hospitals, law enforcement agencies, restaurants, fire departments, creative agencies and other companies and organizations in Maine and elsewhere.
Derek Theriault, who earned a biotechnology degree at 91制片厂, is transferring to the University of Pittsburgh’s nationally recognized biotechnology program. He was also accepted at five other universities, all of which offered him competitive financial packages and accepted nearly all the credits he earned at 91制片厂.
Coming to 91制片厂 stoked his passion for learning, Theriault said.
鈥淲hen I came here, I quickly learned how engaged the staff and faculty were in student success,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e tried to take advantage of as many learning opportunities as I can. There have been a lot of opportunities for hands-on learning here.鈥�