TOMBALL, Texas – Lone Star College-Tomball’s 2017 Commencement Ceremony was one for the record books, with more than 1,200 friends and family members in attendance and an unexpectedly high number of viewers via live stream.
“We’ve had over 800 hits, but the remarkable data is the locations of viewership,” said LSC-Tomball Client Technologies Tech Jay Hargett. “The only continents we did not have viewers on was Australia and Antarctica continent. From Jordan to India, Pakistan, Morocco, Ukraine, to other Central and South American countries, this service was well received locally and internationally. It says that our student base is as diverse as the world is, and I think that’s impressive.”
During the ceremony, 192 LSC-Tomball students walked the stage on May 13 at Faithbridge Church-Klein Campus. “Everyone has a story," LSC-Tomball President Dr. Lee Ann Nutt, who presided over the ceremony, told graduates. “Each of us have overcome adversity or challenges along our journey. The perseverance required to make it to this day is a testament to the nature of the commitment each of you has to your future.”
The commencement exercise is the pinnacle of the academic year. Representatives from the Lone Star College Board of Trustees and members of the Chancellor’s Cabinet were in attendance at this year’s ceremony. Though not all participated in the 2017 Commencement Ceremony, more than 650 students graduated from LSC-Tomball this year. LSC Executive Vice Chancellor Dr. Alicia Harvey-Smith, delivered the keynote address. The graduates also heard from student speaker and fellow graduate Carmen Castellanos.
"As excited as I am for the future, looking back at my LSC-Tomball experience, I could almost cry just realizing that I'll never again sit in a history class with Babu to learn about the Civil War and see no less than a dozen professional grade cat pictures," Castellanos said during her speech, referring to a beloved History professor and his famous pets. "Apart from that, I'll also miss the atmosphere here at LSC, because it's evident that we have an amazing support network where every single teacher and advisor exists for student success."
Nutt, in an effort to give the audience a glimpse of the great things students achieved during the 2016-2017 academic year, recognized Castellanos, along with several other students for their resilience and commitment to working hard in order to achieve success. Castellanos and fellow graduate Alexis Kulik were part of the Model United Nations delegation competition in April in New York, representing the Republic of Tanzania. The delegation was named Outstanding Delegation for the third year in a row. Nutt went on to recognize Matthew Ramsdal, who is the first in his family to attend college, and was recently awarded the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, worth up to $40,000 a year to complete a bachelor's degree at a four-year college or university.
"This is the caliber of students before you today," Nutt stressed to the audience. "These are the students who will be leading out nation, our schools, our corporations. These outstanding accomplishments exemplify the true mission of a college. That is to facilitate the transformation of human potential into achievement. These students, and many others, demonstrated the resilience, academic excellence, and determination necessary to excel and succeed."
Lone Star College-Tomball is located at 35000 Tomball Parkway, at the intersection of SH 249 and Zion Road. For more information about the college, call 281.351.3300 or visit LoneStar.edu/Tomball.