COM to Hold 94th Annual Commencement and Transfer Recognition Ceremony in Virtual Format
College of Marin (COM) will be holding its annual commencement and transfer recognition ceremony virtually this year, celebrating the accomplishments of nearly 350 students who completed a certificate, degree, or transfer degree.
The 94th Annual Commencement and Transfer Recognition Ceremony will take place on Friday, May 28, at 6 p.m. During the streamed event, 341 students will be recognized for their dedication to their academic and career goals, including 71-year-old Stephen Maddox, the most mature graduate, and 18-year-old Beatrice Heimbrodt, the youngest among the graduating class of 2021.
Maddox earned a certificate of achievement in environmental landscaping, occupational landscaping, and landscape and garden design. Heimbrodt earned an associate of arts degree in liberal studies, with an emphasis in natural science.
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a largely remote learning environment, COM students were resilient. An impressive grand total of 402 degrees and certificates will be conferred. Some 122 students earned an associate of art; 68 earned an associate of science; 115 earned an associate of art for transfer; 46 earned an associate of science for transfer; and 51 earned certificates of achievement.
COM Superintendent/President and Dr. David Wain Coon said he was incredibly proud of this year’s graduates and their persistence during such trying times.
“Given what we’ve been through, I am so proud of our students for being here and for sticking with it. Earning college credit and being a college student is hard enough under normal circumstances,” said Dr. Coon. “And we know this year has been anything but normal—the pandemic, political strife, social unrest, the reckoning of social and racial injustice for Black, Indigenous, and people of color—our students’ grit and determination to stay the course is an accomplishment in and of itself.”
Fernando Sánchez López, president of the Associated Students of College of Marin (ASCOM) will serve as the student speaker during the ceremony. At a recent appreciation event, he acknowledged the incredible effort of faculty, staff, and students to remain engaged during the pandemic and encouraged them to reflect on their personal takeaways.
“We know it has been a different year for everyone and it has presented its own unique challenges, but we recognize that it also has presented unique opportunities,” said Sánchez López. “Our main purpose is to recount and remember those highlights.”