Hundreds of Kapiolani Community College students graduated this spring, making it the largest graduating class in the history of KCC.
Families and friends gathered on the sidewalks and on the Great Lawn Friday, May 11 to watch their graduates walk across the stage and get their diploma after their years of hard work. This graduation was said to have the largest class in the history of KCC, with 430 students, said Louise Pagotto, vice chancellor for academic affairs.
Like previous graduations, there were several speakers sharing who shared their experiences and words of inspiration with the graduates and audience: co-valedictorian Helen Hites; KCC Chancellor Leon Richards, distinguished alumnus Sheldon Tawata; University of Hawaii President M.R.C. Greenwood, UH Board of Regents member Jan Sullivan; Excellence in Teaching Award recipient Veronica Ogata.
During this year’s graduation, there were some things that differed from previous ceremonies, said Pagotto. This year the valedictorians were seated in the front, and the department chairs, and administrators were seated on separate sides of the stage, and there were more students to sit the cafeteria and on the stage.
Towards the end of the graduation, there was a medical emergency and the graduates as well as the audience had to remain in the seats before moving to greet graduates at their designated letters.
This year the emergency medical technicians and mobile intensive care technicians graduated with the other students instead of having an separate ceremony.
Pagotto expressed that there were similar things between all graduation ceremonies.
“The joy expressed by the students,” she said. “The pride of their families and friends.”