John Wood Community College will hold its forty-fourth annual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Activity Center on the Quincy Campus at 48th and Harrison.
JWCC will confer 343 associate degrees and 190 certificates. Michael Elbe, JWCC president, will confer degrees and certificates and Larry Fischer, chair of the JWCC Board of Trustees, will accept candidates as graduates.
Reed Tate of Liberty, Illinois, will represent the graduating Class of 2019 by delivering the invocation. He will receive an Associate in Art Degree and will transfer to Illinois State University to complete a bachelor’s degree in business. He was a member of JWCC’s Student Government Association, Psychology Club, National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), Theater Guild, Pep Band, Vocal Show and Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU). He also served as the public relations secretary for JWCC’s Phi Theta Kappa international honor society chapter.
Jennifer Webster of Quincy, Illinois, and Madeline Davis of Camp Point, Illinois, will provide the student address. Webster served as vice president of Phi Theta Kappa. She will receive an Associate of Science in mathematics and will transfer to Quincy University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Davis served as the Student Trustee and as president and vice-president of Phi Theta Kappa during her tenure at John Wood. She plans to transfer to Western Illinois University to pursue a degree in biology.
Dr. Trevor Akers ’05 of Quincy, Illinois, will deliver the alumni investiture. Akers is the JWCC 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, and operates Akers Hometown Chiropractic in Quincy.
Rachel Wolter of Quincy, Illinois, will offer the student response to the alumni investiture. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and served as treasurer for the Student Government Association. Wolter plans to transfer to Western Illinois University to pursue a degree in supply chain management.
Elizabeth Fodor of Quincy, Illinois, will provide closing remarks. She is a member of CRU, Theater Guild, Band, Vocal Show, Choir and Phi Theta Kappa. She also served as treasurer for NAfME. Fodor will transfer to Concordia University Chicago to pursue a degree in human communication and culture.
Macebearer for JWCC’s Commencement will be Ron Boren, husband of the late Joyce Miller-Boren, chair and professor of developmental education. Miller-Boren will be posthumously recognized with the distinction of professor emeritus during the ceremony.
Dr. Steven Soebbing, JWCC instructor of music and theatre, will play processional and recessional selections. The College’s choir will perform the National Anthem arranged by Letha Cole Crouch and a musical selection by Michael Barrett.
