The largest graduating class in the history of College of the Canyons will receive their degrees during the school’s 50th annual commencement ceremony, which is set to occur at 8 a.m. Friday in the college’s Honor Grove.
Last year’s class broke the previous record for the most graduates, but this year’s group of nearly 2,500 students is more than 10 percent larger than last year’s cohort, COC officials said in a news release Tuesday.
“We are so proud to celebrate the accomplishments and hard work of the College of the Canyons class of 2019,” Chancellor Dianne Van Hook said. “They accepted no excuses and are a shining example of what can happen when focus and a commitment to never giving up prevails. I have no doubt that our students will go on to do important things in life. I stand in awe of the stories they will create. This is only the beginning of their journeys.”
Academically, there are 725 students graduating with honors, which requires a 3.5 GPA or higher, and 76 students with perfect 4.0 GPAs, which grants them the status of valedictorians at the college, the news release stated. This year’s graduating class is also the first to include First-Year Promise students from the program’s first cohort, which was launched in the fall of 2017.
School officials urged community members attending the ceremony to plan on arriving to campus no later than 7:45 a.m., because parking lots are expected to be congested and guest seating will be limited.
Those who cannot attend the commencement are encouraged to catch the live stream, which will be available online at bit.ly/2EFUnSP.