KINGWOOD (May 23, 2023) – Students who obtained Continuing Education certificates and GED graduates were honored at the 2023 Continuing Education Achievement Ceremony on Thursday, May 18th at Lone Star College-Kingwood. Fifty-four graduates attended and more than 140 family members and friends showed up in full force to support them.
The students completed CE certificates in programs such as Accounting Assistant, Medical Coder, Dental Assistant and more. Several students also received their GED certificates. This was the first time LSC-Kingwood has held an Achievement Ceremony for CE Certificate Programs.
Lone Star College Board of Trustees Secretary Mike Sullivan attended the ceremony. Trustee Sullivan, an LSC-Kingwood alumni himself, congratulated the students on their hard work. He said, “With this accomplishment, you are not only changing your life, but also the lives of your families and your community. And you serve as an example that great things can be achieved with dedication and perseverance.”
Lucero Villafana completed the Dental Assistant program. She thanked her instructors and her family for their support.
“All thanks to the Registered Dental Assisting program at Lone Star, I am now working in a field of study that I truly enjoy. Not only that but my instructor, Mrs. Lee, revealed in me an intense interest for the dental field that I did not even know I had. I also thank my family for always being so supportive and pushing me to do better. There’s only going up from here, and I plan on furthering my knowledge in hopes to one day take a step further and go into Dental Hygiene.”
Lone Star College Professor Dr. Juan Manuel Galván was the guest speaker at the event. He shared his inspiring story of success. He spoke about his childhood working as a sharecropper, and his journey to the United States, where he helped support his family by mowing lawns and washing cars. Eventually, he obtained his GED and from there continued his pursuit of knowledge. He now possesses a Bachelor’s, Masters and Doctoral degrees and has come full circle, teaching at the very college where he first passed his GED exam.
“I stand before you as a living testimony of the importance of education. The certificate you earn today is the result of many days and nights of hard work. There were times when you, like me, probably felt like quitting, but you persevered, and you achieved your goals! Graduating today is your reward for all the sleep you sacrificed and all the tears you shed because you knew that what you were doing was worth it.”
Dr. Galvan encouraged students to continue their educational journeys.
“The certificate you earn today will open new doors for you, new opportunities for employment, and new ways of seeing the world. However, this should not be the end of your academic journey. Instead, let today mark a new beginning. Let the certificate you earn today be the spearhead that will thrust you to continue on and to eventually earn an Associate Degree, a bachelor’s degree, and even, why not? A graduate degree.”
Continuing Education Director Pat Chandler said she was honored to celebrate the success of the students. “We are proud to be able to make a difference in the lives of our students by offering them quality classes with incredible instructors.”
Two $500 scholarships were also awarded at the ceremony.
You can watch the full ceremony here.
Lone Star College enrolls over 80,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as Chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and has been named a 2022 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education and recognized by Fortune Magazine and Great Place To Work® as one of this year’s Best Workplaces in Texas™. LSC consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.
