‘You were the reason all along’: GCC celebrates Class of 2026

GREENFIELD — Under a tent on Greenfield Community College’s East Lawn on Friday evening, GCC President Michelle Schutt told members of the Class of 2026 — more than half of whom are first-generation college students — that they are the reason they will have a second-generation college graduate in their family.

“You are also the reason the commonwealth of Massachusetts decided community college should belong to everyone,” Schutt said. “Because of that, most of you are graduating not having paid tuition and fees, and without taking on debt. … I hope you remember you were the reason all along.”

Sitting in the center row beneath the podium, 396 students, now graduates, heard words of encouragement from faculty, their peers and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan. A clear message emerged — GCC is a home for everyone.

One student speaker, Michael Hannigan, the Student Senate president and a Commonwealth Honors Scholar, who is graduating with an associate degree in liberal arts and continuing on in hopes of earning a bachelor’s degree in political science, said the bee serves as a perfect mascot for GCC.

“We didn’t choose a wasp, or a hornet, or a yellowjacket, or some of the more menacing insects that are often chosen. We chose the friendly, dependable bee,” Hannigan said. “Bee’s don’t only serve the hive. They go out into the world, they pollinate and they help things grow.”

Sullivan echoed Hannigan’s words, saying that the graduates sitting in front of him represented his hope for the future. This hope, he said, represents opportunity, and not being afraid to take that leap, even if it makes them uncomfortable.

Fakhria Musaawy, another student speaker, knows about taking that leap. Emigrating from Afghanistan in 2017, she earned her associate degree in liberal arts while working a full-time job and being a mother to three young children. She, like Hannigan, plans to continue her studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst through the University Without Walls program, where she wants to earn her teaching license.

“The knowledge didn’t just stay in books; it changed the way I perceive the world and my place in it,” Musaawy said. “I know many girls who wish to sit in the classroom. Follow your dreams despite challenges. Your dreams are still valid and still possible.”

Before the diplomas were presented, Sullivan stepped to podium and told the graduates that they’ll face challenges. He cited the current presidential administration as a challenge not just to them, but to the constitutional foundation of America. He said it isn’t fair to the graduates that this responsibility and these challenges were laid at their doorstep, but that throughout history, responsibilities thrust upon young people often aren’t fair.

Offering some respite, he told the Class of 2026 that they can withstand this.

“You are resilient and strong, otherwise you wouldn’t be here,” Sullivan said.

“Kindness matters. I would encourage you to do many small acts of kindness,” Sullivan continued. “Please don’t ever pass on anything that challenges or inspires you. Find a passion or purpose in life. … Making our lives count is far more important than the dollars we accumulate.”

Graduates

Katherine Ann Livsey of Adams; Joanna Rose Grabowski and John Manale, both of Agawam; Shirish Adhikari, Geoffrey Wilson Burnham, Zandra Raven Davis, Marta Fernandes, Richard A. Gallo, Maypaz Goldstein, Victoria Goldstein, Samuel Shumans Grincewicz, Michael Hannigan, Gavin Harshbarger, Declan Higgins, Arwen King, Elizabeth LeMoine, Oliver J. Lewis-Horlitz, Colin Mcneill, Kathleen McNeill, Connor Misra, Sundarii, Gabriele Moreira, Cynthia Moreno, Fakhria Musaawy, Elijah Norman, Nivedita Faith Randhir, Mackenzie Reinhold, Mudassir Salisu, Andre P. Shepard, Elijah Shersnow, Supriya Thapa and Arlee Wedemeyer, all of Amherst; Phoebe Gibson and Ashlee Townsley, both of Ashfield; Jeannette Pellegrini of Ashland; Jameson Cycz, Shaela Hall, Aurelius Raven Millspaugh-Robbins, Kyle D. Smith, Teresa Teele, Brooklyn Paige Vaillancourt and Christine Yates, all of Athol; Andrew Robert Jablonski, Charles Lester Merrick, Gavin Messier and Max Rogowski, all of Belchertown; Paige Marquez of Bellingham; Jacob L. Bordeaux, John-Paul Richard Delabruere, Ryan DelaBruere, Camden Guertin, Justin Jacobs, Ashley Dawn Kilburn, Roslynn Rose Moore, Molly Sharry, Ariana Whaley-Britt and Samuel Robert Glazier, all of Bernardston; Quincy Adams of Beverly; Keira Antonella Cantor of Boston; Jacob Laustsen of Boxford; Jackson Richard Carr, Kacia Kinsmith and Michael Roberts, all of Brattleboro, Vermont; Kevin William Klein of Burlington; Caitlin Johnston and Melissa Beth Pariseau, both of Charlemont; Joaquin Flores and Alison Wiseman, both of Chesterfield; Jack Amayo Buong, Mercy Chepkwemoi Chele, Jasmine Marie Del Valle, Yesenia Escalera, Arianna Gregoire, Austin Mahrt, Blue Lore Pevensie, Beatriz Rivera, Kimberley Slowik, Maricela Vaughn, Morgan L. Willis and Alliyah Zayas, all of Chicopee;
Cassidy Marie Ciesluk, Brooke Angel Cochran, Tasha M. Gilbert, Rylee Alexandra Hager and Curtis K. Neill, all of Colrain; Aidan Michael Heffernan and Alisa Wright-Tanny, both of Conway; Charis Moeckel-Cole of Deerfield; Keona Lomod Lamica of Drury; Rebecca A. Durand and Jaden Mai, both of East Longmeadow; Jordan Victor DeMedeiros of East Wareham; Benjamin L. Lang of Easthampton; Tina M. Petrowicz, Brandon Douglas Pollard and Sachiko Rodriguez, all of Erving; Graceann Elizabeth Kelly-McKenzie of Everett; Grace Helene LaValley, Charles R. Kelly, Henry C. Morgan, Shanice Yvonne Romero and Amelia Ann Ruff, all of Florence; Becky M. Paulin, Anna Baskowski, Owen Ajay LaValley and Eric Ryan Shutta, all of Gill; Mason R. Neveu of Goshen; Myranda Garreffi and Melissa Shea, both of Granby; Kiara Markewicz of Great Barrington; Tamara Adams, Danielle Andrew, Alex Bacigalupo, Gabrielle A. Bailey, Brianna Battistoni, Gabrielle Ashton Benz, Sophie Eve Blakeslee, Isaac Blodgett, Kelsey Boutwell, Aneesa K. Brewer, Emilie Brodeur, Richard Walter Bukowski, Zachariah Yun Butynski, Lisa Callahan, Racheal Canuel, Abigail Cassidy, Erika Clark, Kiri Corbin, Estera Covalenco, Stephanie Dancause, Courtney Danielsen, Alicia Marie Deso, Jenna Elwell, Aiden Riley Fulton, Michele E. Gonzalez, Travis Michael Gould, Zoe Michal Grant, Cash Gray, Scott James Green, Riley Hayward, Samuel F. Heath, William J. Hochrein, Abbigail Elyse Holloway, Emy-Elis Iavorschi, Shea Jackson, Pablo Juarez, Jada Elizabeth Jurek, Kelly McClure, Molly R. McIntyre, Cailin J. McClure, Amber M. Mercier, Bethaney Messer, Jessica Mihailicenco, Lan Nguyen, Caelyn Patenaude, Lauren Perkalis, Sonjai Rathore, Vanessa Ricketts, Nazayla Rodriguez, Lazarous S. Santiago, Madeleine Autumn Magdalene-Savoie, Jonah Schofield, Kieron Schweitzer, Nathan Dean Seeley, Kathryn Soltysik, Alex E. West, Julia Vincenza Whalen, Rebecca Lynn Williams, Cody M. Wilson, Sarah Kate Wyngowski, Barnabas Yu, Alyssa G. del Rosario, Leah Brown, Sherry Alicia Monroe and Lilly Helen Remillard, all of Greenfield; Skyler Bellville of Guilford, Vermont; Tenzin Mathes, Jasmine Sofia Amaya, Ivanila Daveiga-Moreno, Connor Hughes, Erik M. Lyster, Camille Andrea Nelson, Nicholas C. McKenna, Dulceneia Varela Moreno, Nicolas Rabasa-Freeman and Keven Soto-Guzman, all of Hadley; Nichole Alice O’Donnell of Hampden; Rey Augustine and Dexter Seetal, both of Hatfield; Leanne Mizula of Hawley; Joshua Robert Lapointe, Sarah Ann O’Brien and Daniel Tetreault, all of Haydenville; Anthony Schultz and Callie J. Zdanowicz, both of Hinsdale, New Hampshire; Shannon Marie Connelly, Millyness Cotto, William Loftus-Rooney, Sophie Pise, Jaileen Rivera and Sheila Anais Espinoza, all of Holyoke; Kassandra Diaz of Indian Orchard; Jayde Caira Surette of Lake Pleasant; Xamantha Valentine of Leeds; Ezekiel Saul Flint and Khylar Hughes, both of Leverett; Gavin Jonathan Lanoue Curtis of Leyden; Andrew Douville, Natalie Anne Frechette and Jeffrey Vail Morgan, all of Longmeadow; Rafaela Morais Fernandes and Corey James Gaouette, both of Ludlow; Christina Anagnost of Manlius, New York; Danielle Germain of Marlborough, New Hampshire; Danielle M. Barron, Lyndsi Diaz-Nelson and Ruby Henry, of Millers Falls; Kristopher Ryan Baker, Charlotte Elizabeth Canterbury, Mila Denisevich, Hannah Marchefka, Devon Rehorka, River Liam Rodrigues, Courtney L. Simons and Chelsea H. Tela, all of Montague; Hanna Calaoagan of Murrieta, California; Lyle Banks, Jonathan D. Becklo, Zachary Colby, Steven Davila Valqui, Kristen Diane DiNozzi, Olivia M. Dubuque, Jacqueline Guaman Dutan, Kayla Gene Martin, Noah Paar, Aliza Riemer, Michael Rubeck and Samuel Stein Turow, all of Northampton; Rachel Alice Allen, Ashley A. Chao, Ella Margaret Dubin, Matthew Brooks Marshall, Cameron Richard Platek, Connor Thomas Platek, Emma Ray and Joseph E. Seaman, all of Northfield; Julie Daly, Julia Marie DeLory, Skylier Frasher, Lauren Mainville, Nandini Nithyanadham, Alysha A. Reardon, Darlene L. Rowe and Gracelyn Stewart, all of Orange; Kaitlyn Fennelly of Otis; Galen Sanislo of Plainfield; Max K. Lampe of Putney, Vermont; Hadley Ferber of Rhinebeck, New York; Danielle Regina Beaumier, Ian M. Boyd, Jenalyn C. Duval and Mackenzi Brown Coulombe Gabaree, all of Rowe; Kaela Costa of Russell; Conner Thomas Hayes, Ivy Palmer, Shauntel Amber Parker, Lilith Kiri Finn Paulson, Hannah Grace Plesnar, Zachary High Auclair, Shelby Collier, Christina L. Dean, Marie Gauthier, Oliver Flynn, Lydia Alexandra Foote, Antonio Paul Hernandez, Katherine Elaine Martin, Trevor Douglas Mills and Abigail Estelle Rosner, all of Shelburne Falls; Joyce Braunhut, Ginger Jane Coffin, Xoelle Rose, Dream River Roysdon and Brendon J. Tolles, all of Shutesbury; Zoe Dorsey of South Dartmouth; Kylie Jean Donaldson, Hailey Lynn Hutkoski, Cierra-rose Sheldon, Katelyn Marie Szczepanski, Jessica Wrisley, Jesse Archambault, Sophie Winter Brown, Riley Glenowicz, Rachel A. Houser, Fatima Ibrahimi, Leah Nicole Schram, Meghan Smith and Ana Waskiewicz, all of South Deerfield; Chloe Burke, Zachary Ryan Fournier, Karl Wesley Hidden, Andrew Jacobs and Ajanai Jinnelle Lopez, all of South Hadley; Gabriela Maria Acevedo, Elizabeth Anna Bronson, Nina Carmody and Ashley Ann Lajoie, all of Southampton; Sabina Beaudry of Southwick; Lucas Aeonsang, Kayla Nicole Allen, Jonathan Joseph Boire, Jennyeliz Camacho-Figueroa, Cornella Coppedge, Maria Diaz Gonzalez, Tynisa N. Eddington, Kezia Frater, Luz Clarita Galvez Perez, Kayleigh Alexa Garcia, Keanna Gardner, Daniel Joseph Garvey, Sabrina J. Hopper, Kevin Lee, Tannya Lewis, Sonia Yoelys Montalvo, Janice Ortiz, Joseph Rosa, Jericer Rosario, Kendra Silva, Allana R. Stallworth-Cummings, Lashe Taylor, Kiara Liz Vazquez Lopez, Shailee Marie Velazquez, Candice Williams, Shamyia A. Wright, Latoya M. Yowe and Vivian J. Smith, all of Springfield; Lydia Chin, Kane Steinbrecher Crow, Timothy C. Stout and Destiny Marie Wells, all of Sunderland; Bethany Mirja Botelho Spencer of Sutton; Myah Faith Hansen of Tolland; Elsie H. Almeida, Michael W.P. Boyle, Kendra Leh Campbell, Nicholas Cogswell, Barbara J. Collins, Felicia Marie Craver, Jocelyn R. Dennett, Laura Kate Goodale, Jayden Hosmer, Grace Virginia Houlihan, Madison Celeste LaCasse, Jillian Kathleen Marchetti, Joshua Matusz, Cassandra J. Millett, Alexander S. Pawell, Julie Tetreault, Maralee Wiles and Nicholas Woods, all of Turners Falls; Bronson Frost Finnell, Koby Law, Raphy Marchand-Lyford, Kyler Allie McClelland, Veronika Sankova and Xavier Simonds, all of Vernon, Vermont; Shante Whyte, Marlisa R.A. Miller and Hyacinth A. Scott, all of Wales; Dayana Antoine-Picard and Nicholas D. Gambino, both of Ware; Ian James Kelly of Warwick; Sandra Wong of Watertown; Juliet Angcaya Gallant and Jared Kegoro, both of West Springfield; Jessica Lenihan of West Stockbridge; Daryl Ann Ayala, Ryan Bacon, Ethan Baush, Brandon Blais, Nichole Fox, Paing Theim Khant, Aidan King, Christina Jon-Louise McKeeman, Rachael W. Ngige, Jeilenne Marie Pietri and Jessica Zaharias, all of Westfield; Ellie Bowser, Kerri Ann LaBerge and Maura Martine Ronan, all of Westhampton; Lee Roy Felton and Naomi Elizabeth Aimee Francaes, both of Whately; Jessica Loud, Helena G. Thomas and Ashley C. Kernan-Dufresne, all of Williamsburg; Siobhan MacIsaac Glassman of Winchester, New Hampshire; Iragi Bishogo of Worcester; and Lucia Belit T.M. d’Errico of Worthington.

Awards

Accounting Award — Ryan DelaBruere.

Art Department Hammer Award — Charles Kelly,  Leah Schram and Keona Lamica.

The Charles Greene Award  — Michael Hannigan, Kevin Klein, Aurelius Millspaugh-Robbins, Maura Martine Ronan and Emma Weed.

Donald Oberacker Liberal Arts/Science Award — Aimee Francaes, Lyle Banks, Devon Rehorka and Michael Hannigan.

Dr. Larry Buell Award for Outstanding Leadership — Shea Jackson.

Drama Award — Jesse Archambault, Maura Martine Ronan and Alex E. West.

Excellence in Liberal Arts/English — River A. Houser.

Global Seal of Biliteracy (Graduates) — Gabriela Acevedo, Estera Covalenco, Robyn Green, Alex Bacigalupo, Christina L. Dean and Sarah Wyngowski.

Music Department Outstanding Student Award — Justin Jacobs.

Social Sciences Catalyst Award — Arwen King.

Excellence in Mental Health Nursing — Melissa Pariseau.

Excellence in Pediatric Nursing — Andrew Douville.

Excellence in Medical/Surgical Nursing — Keiron Schweitzer.

Excellence in Maternal Nursing — Ivanila Daveiga-Moreno.

Excellence in Academic and Clinical Performance Overall — Lauren Mainville.

Excellence in Nursing Research — Jessica Mihailicenco.