Over 200 Northwest Technical College students were celebrated in a brief virtual commencement ceremony held Thursday morning. Nearly 140 students, family members, faculty and staff participated in the event broadcasted on Zoom. Of the class, 90 graduated with honors, earning cumulative grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher.
Fifteen identified as American Indian and three are military personnel or veterans.
Graduates were notified they should expect a package in the mail containing a cap and tassel, a certificate of achievement signed by President Faith C. Hensrud, a commencement program and an NTC-branded cloth face mask.
President Hensrud opened the event by thanking students, family and friends in attendance for supporting each student on their journey to graduation. She congratulated the class of 2020 and recognized the perseverance and grit it took to reach end of the semester amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Graduating from college is one of the truly monumental milestones in any person’s life. Even in the best of times, it’s an achievement to be celebrated,” she said. “Not only have you reached this milestone, you’ve done it during an entirely unprecedented time as the world responds to COVID-19.”
Hensrud concluded her remarks by sharing her pride in each graduate’s accomplishments, and acknowledging the opportunities presented in hardship.
“You now know that you can respond to and succeed under conditions of adversity,” she said. “You know you can enter the unknown and still find success. And you know how to keep your focus and stay the course during this extraordinary time. These are lessons that will serve you well for the rest of your life.”
