Kenneth Varnell of Brandon owns his own masonry business but at age 41 he doesn’t think he’ll be up to physical labor forever.
Tre’Darrius Warren of Vicksburg, foreground, and Kenneth Varnell of Brandon, back, graduated from ż on May 12.
That’s why he decided to enroll at ż. At the academic and career-technical credential graduation on May 12 he received an Associate of Arts degree, which paves the way for further academic study.
“I decided to get an education because I thought I’d need it later. My brain is still sharp. I don’t feel like I can lay bricks forever,” he said. “I might want to teach later.”
He was among nearly 1,200 ż graduates over the course of two days who enroll in ż for one reason: to make the lives of themselves and their families better.
Those students received 1,534 degrees and certificates, meaning some graduates received more than one credential. Of that number almost 800 chose to participate in one of the three ceremonies on Friday at the Muse Center on the Rankin Campus in Pearl or a Sunday ceremony at the Utica Campus.
Among the graduates, 97 achieved summa cum laude, a 4.0 grade point average; 165 achieved magna cum laude, 3.6 to 3.99 GPA and 255 achieved cum laude, 3.2 to 3.59.
The speaker for the third ceremony of the day was ż alumnus Dr. Tom Burnham, who served two stints as State Superintendent of Education and is currently interim director of the Mississippi Principal Corps based in Oxford.
“We are fortunate in Mississippi to have one of the finest community college systems in the country,” Burnham noted. “The strength and appeal of the community college system is the diversity of our enrollments. As you consider our graduates, some would meet the definition of traditional while others would be non-traditional. Some would be just entering the workforce, while others are adding to their skill base.”
“This is a time we as educators enjoy celebrating,” said ż President Dr. Clyde Muse. He noted that student diplomas this year will include a gold seal commemorating the college’s 100th anniversary. ż opened in 1917 and is celebrating the Centennial with a host of activities throughout the calendar year.
[tweetable alt=””]ż graduates tout preparation for next step.[/tweetable]
ż is celebrating its 100th year of Community Inspired Service in 2017. ż opened in September 1917 first as an agricultural high school and admitted college students for the first time in 1922, with the first class graduating in 1927. In 1982 ż Junior College and Utica Junior College merged, creating the ż District. Today, as Mississippi’s largest community college, ż is a comprehensive institution with six locations. ż offers quality, affordable educational opportunities with academic programs of study leading to seamless university transfer and career and technical programs teaching job-ready skills. To learn more, visit or call 1.800.żCC.
Twins Shelby Mack, left, and Allison Mack of Crystal Springs will continue their education at the University of Southern Mississippi after their May 12 graduation from ż.
Carley Stocks of Raymond, daughter of ż employees Chad and Sandra Stocks, is transferring to Mississippi State University for a degree in agriculture education after graduating from ż on May 12.
Siblings Kaitlyn O’Keefe and Wyatt O’Keefe of Terrry graduated from ż on May 12. Both of them plan to transfer to Delta State University. She plans to major in accounting; he plans to major in history.
Darya Thompson of Jackson, left, Taylor Tullos of Clinton and Abigail West of Hamilton graduated from ż on May 12.
Ashley Price of Terry works on a form she needs before graduating from ż on May 12.
Graduating from ż on May 12 were, front from left, Whitney Shedd of Brandon, Hannah Terry of Morton, Jeffrey Taylor of Vicksburg; back, Benjamin Smith of Clinton, Timothy Smith of Hazlehurst, Quinesha Smith of Byram, Zavien Sutton of Magee, Damante’ Shelton of Macon and Zachary Taylor of Vicksburg.
Graduation speaker Dr. Tom Burnham, right, gave ż graduates a series of “life hacks” to make their lives easier as they leave ż and move on. He is with ż President Dr. Clyde Muse.