GREENFIELD — Cheers and cowbells rang aloud on Saturday as members of Greenfield Community College’s Class of 2024 marched between rows of flowers to the stage, collected their diplomas, and celebrated their success with their families and friends.

GCC President Michelle Schutt emphasized the value of resilience, something that GCC develops in its students.

“Throughout your time at GCC, you have undoubtedly faced numerous challenges, both inside and outside the classroom,” she said. “Yet, you have demonstrated remarkable resilience in overcoming these obstacles, refusing to let adversity stand in the way of your dreams. Whether it was balancing work and studies, overcoming personal hardships or navigating the complexities of higher education, you have shown incredible strength and determination.”

As their time at GCC ends and they embark on new pursuits, she hopes the graduates will lean on that resilience to embrace challenges, which she called “stepping stones toward success.” She also encouraged them to continue to “nurture the bonds” they’ve built at GCC, drawing on them for collaboration and support as they encounter future opportunities.

“I want to challenge you to embrace the spirit of lifelong learning,” Schutt continued. “Graduation is not the end of an educational journey, but rather the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, growth and self-discovery.”

According to GCC, 115 graduates participated in Saturday’s commencement ceremony, with a total of 271 graduating.

Speeches followed from graduates Mari Champagne, who spoke about her research defining success and what that means to students at GCC, and Casey Miller, who commented on the fear of the unknown, sharing a quote from actress Carrie Fisher.

“Stay afraid, but do it anyway,” said Miller, whose 5-year-old grandson was present at Saturday’s commencement ceremony. “What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.”

Peer Tutoring Program Co-Coordinator Norman Beebe, who started working at GCC in 1993, shared stories and lessons of graduating from a community college during his staff commencement speech, mentioning the various jobs students often do to raise tuition money. He also spoke about the mission of GCC to provide affordable higher education, which he noted has become more difficult to access, with student loan debt having nearly tripled since 2008, according to the Federal Reserve.

When at last the diplomas had been handed out and it was time to turn the tassels, Vice President of Academic Affairs April Parsons guided the graduates in turning the tassels from right to left, saying, “when you’re done, it (the tassel) goes over your heart because a part of that always remains with your school.”

Graduates

Jackson W. Carlino, Hunter N. Drost, Ashalyn N. Duval, Whitney L. Ferrera Portillo, Joaquin Flores, Samantha Marie Hall-Wills, Marshall Alexander Hanke, Celso Angel Lopez, Hannah C. Matica, Samantha Jean Meunier, Reyna Melinis Ortiz, Charles H. Penza, Jasmine M. Richotte, Timothy B. Stanley, Amalie Mae Sullivan-Joyce, Jade Ella Tyler, Necati Bugra Yilmaz, Caitlyn E. Alisauskas, Andria Melody Ames, Destinee Ann Marie Anadon, Shelby L. Avery, Haley Elizabeth Bastarache, Illyana Amara Billups, Sylvia Anne Blanks, Jhonatan A. Block, John Christopher Boles, Josephine S. Bonaceto, Nathaniel Finn Boyd-Owens, Bayla Heit Catlin, Victoria S. Cedeno, Josiah Chase, Irene Chepleting, Stephanie-Marie G. Dancause, Ella Louise de Beauport, Douglas J. Dedischew, Megan Renee Dejnak, Parker Derby, Blake Douglas Dion, Lauren Paula Donovan, Kate Hutchinson Driscoll, Corey C. Eckert, Ella Elizabeth Edwards, Arnold B. Ekajulo, Alexander John Ewing, Cameron M. Faniel, Ashley Ann Farkas, Alex P. Favreau, Isabel Felix-Bushey, Ashley Nicole Fill, Emma Woon Gajda, Cassidy Lea Gilcreast, Cameron James Granger, Siomara Meybelyn Green, Haleigh Katherine Greene, Courtney Isabella Haire, Keisha Michelle Heathman, Abigail Grace Hoynoski, Zoey M. Hutchinson, Dai Huynh, Laura Marie Kahler, Isabel Rose Kapitulik, Catherine Lynn Kellogg, Anna Labato, Nicole Jolene Lamont, Veronica Ann Lashway, Makayla S. Lawrence, Joshua Aaron Ledoux, Peter D. Mantell III, Aline Cristina Santos Marques, Jacob Thomas McEvoy, Casey Lea Miller, Naomi L. Molin, Shaelyn Elaine Mullen, Katherine Musante, Magin Renea Nason, Kathleen Claire O’Neil, Christopher Michael Phillips, Abigail V. Pierce, Marina Sergey Pirozhkov, Ella M. Poudrier, Cameron Mark Powers, Devyn P. Prusak, Dharma Ramirez, Shane A. Robles, Victoria M. Rogers, Cynthia Deslys Roy-Clark, David J. Sheldon, Jesse Shotland, Rheannon A. Stewart, Madilyn Rose Sulda, Timothy Robert Sweeney, Scarlet Raine Thibodeau, Laura Ann Torraco, Addrianna Krystal Torres, Skylar Tourville, Cleo Vesy Paschal, Casey C. Villarreal, Madeline Shirley Weinstein, Sophia Mae Wetherbee, Maxwell Joshua Bowditch Wilby, Maralee R. Wiles, Robert Louis Williams V, Claire Paige Winston, Lucien Griecci Woodsum, Valentina Cacaj, Mari J. Champagne, Kyle W. Compton-Burch, Timothy Glover, Sam Kuusinen, Ava Capri Machowski, Talyn Landry Neville, Erin Shabunin, Owen J. Bear, Anwen Marie Burwick, Iona Grace Burwick, Mya Macmillan Cooke, Lorena L. Loubsky, Shane Diane Subeldia, Emily M. Williams, Alecia N. Herrick, Rey Mathiau, Sierra A. Myers, Charlene M. Pinnock-Wilson, Lazarous S. Santiago, Quinn Gale McCaffery, Elijah M. Shersnow, John Michael Beston, Dylan James Caines, Darren Joseph Fisher, Ern Kim, Rhys Alistair Lentz, Joyce Levine, Cynthia M. Marshall, Chandra Anna Sanchez, Jacob A. Bigelow, Haley Jo Campbell, Diana M. Learned, Anna Elizabeth Patterson, Sarah R. Philbrook, Zed Vee Alexander, Alexander Bagley, Brian David Bodenstein, Klaus David Burwick, Samantha Jeanne Freda, Vivian Arianna Rose Schutt, Conner J. Scott, Isaiah Kenneth Tate, Joseph Michael D’Astous, Brianna E. Wilder, Catherine Jeanette Ahearn, Katrina Lee Beaumier, Aziza Rose Blair, Marylou Bliss, Janessa Janelle Butler, Michelle A. DeAngelo, Samantha Lynn Deblois, Siobhan Noonan Devlin, Kassidy Nicole DiGeorge, Averi K. Dodge, Sara Elizabeth Edwards, Emma Elizabeth Rose Graham, Sara J. Guidaboni, Sophia A. Hatfield, Jessica Hill, Sarah Jo Howe, Elizabeth Marion Ingram, River Edwin King, Elizabeth Casey Martin, Stacey M. Mimnaugh, Devon O’Neill, John-Morton Andrew Padgett, Maegan Mackenzie Quinlan, Monica Marie Rosa, Olivia Rowe, Amandeep Kaur Saini, Manmeetsingh Bhupendrasingh Saini, Widon Cydney Scott, Zoe W. Scott, Marisa Amber Sullivan, Diana Waldon, Tenzin Yonten, Crispin David George Youngberg, Tove Aliisabet Cerina Schweitzer, Quincy Charles Adams, Thomas Robert Alber, Rain Tucker Bowrys, Matvey Alexander Cronyn, Shea Stephen Jackson, Matthew G. Larzelere, Eva Lauren Moynihan, Sage Rossman, Caleb Aloha Siff, Kane Rudolph Steinbrecher, Nathaniel Reid Stiles, Daniel Michael Chambers, Virginia Jones, Amanda M. Marek, Jeremy Adam Nass, Maygen James, Kathy Lynn Martin-Mills, Timothy A. Agapov, Elliot T. Bauer, Christian J. Chevalier, Fares Berichi Croteau, Peter Alan Curran, Lyndsi M. Diaz-Nelson, Morgan Elizabeth Dobias, AnnaMae Isabel Montague, Darlene Lynn Rowe, Caleb Eric Seaman, David A. Dobias, Brianna Sky Lane, Raelyn Marie O’Brien, Kiana Lee Rodriguez, Mariana Estefania Vargas Caizan, Griffin Hochheiser, Parker Alexander Jansen, Hooper James Ward, Jack Bacis, Colleen Marie Baker, Audrey L. Bulger, Samantha Lynn Clark, Leo A. Couture, Maddison Dexter, Leah Doolittle, Krysta Downs, Hayley Nicole Duffy, Matthew R. Fenton, Tiffany L. Hartlage, Chelsea Heitman, Joanna Elzbieta Jaracz, Elizabeth Stefania Karolides, Brandon W. Lanpher, Joseph S. Lords, Ryan Christopher Martin, Devun L. Nadeau, Keidi Pacheco Montero, Mariya Primakov, Ariel Pipercub Temple, Gabriela Maria Acevedo, Elsie H. Almeida, Christina Anagnost, Christie L. Ball, Chloe Burke, Skyla Mackenzie Burniske, Racheal Canuel, Anna Doncev, Lori A. Doyle, Allison Marie Emrick, Indiana Najaredt Espinal Toruno, Tasha Marie Gilbert, Brooke Annalise Grimsley, Kylie Hall, Grace Helene Jamieson, Jesse LeMon, Rabecka Lynn Mitchell, Sherry Alicia Monroe, Shayla Charay Nicole-Dickerson, Soohwen O, Morgan Taylor Roberts, William Francis Rogers, Madeleine Autumn Savoie, Kiana M. Sharp, Rebecca L. Williams, Leah M. Wozniak, Geneva Jean Bessette, Shea E. Jensen, Haley Parker, Richard P. Sergeiko-Marcotte, Juliet S. Keefe and Kaci Patricia Letourneau.

Awards

Accounting Award: Charles Penza

Art Department “Medici” Award: Valentina Cacaj, Mari Champagne and Ava Machowski.

Global Seal of Biliteracy: Ella Louise de Beauport, Gabriela Maria Acevedo, Richard P. Sergeiko-Marcotte, Juliet S. Keefe and Kaci Patricia Letourneau.

Music Recording and Production Certificate Award: Parker Jansen and Griffin Hochheiser.

Excellence in Social Sciences: Victor Capuzzo.

Excellence in Mental Health Nursing: Elizabeth Martin.

Excellence in Pediatric Nursing: Crispin Youngberg.

Excellence in Medical-Surgical Nursing: Jess Hill.

Excellence in Maternal Nursing: Stacey Mimnaugh.

Excellence in Nursing Care: River Edwin King.

Academic Excellence in Nursing: John-Morton “Drew” Padgett.

Donald Oberacker Liberal Arts/Science Award: Anwen Burwick.

The Charles Green Award: Addrianna Torres.