QCC holds commencement for largest class.

PositionLOCAL NEWS

Byline: Steven H. Foskett Jr.

WORCESTER - Quinsigamond Community College President Gail E. Carberry said that the class of 2013 was not only the school's largest graduating class, but also its best.

"The community is not going to know what hit them," Ms. Carberry told the more than 1,300 graduates gathered at the DCU Center for commencement Friday.

Even before Friday, graduates already had climbed tall mountains, Ms. Carberry said. They coped with the challenges of a "mini-economic depression" that hit the U.S. starting around 2008; they battled major illness; they lost parents, friends and loved ones; they had their education interrupted by military service.

"There's little I can advise you on what it is to face the real world," Ms. Carberry said.

Banded together by a common set of experiences, the graduates have also demonstrated individual talent. And they have been nurtured by a community of caring people, she said.

State Rep. Mary Keefe, D-Worcester, said QCC is building quite a reputation for itself outside the area.

She said the college's growth and expansion come at the right time for the area. She said she was at a forum with Commonwealth Corps. recently, where it was said Central Massachusetts is showing the strongest job growth of any part of the state. She said she attributes part of that growth to the college. She said she is proud of the direction in which Quinsigamond Community College is headed, and that it is a direction that inspires all of the college's students.

Professor George Fitch gave the faculty address. He told the graduates they should be proud of themselves.

"Set your jets on fire, set yourselves on fire, this is your time," Mr. Fitch said.

In his student greeting, Clement Adamah said it was a day to cherish not only for the graduates, but also for their friends and family. He said it's time to go out and put their degrees to good use.

"Why buy a new car and not use it?" Mr. Adamah asked. "Why come to school and not use the resources you've already paid for?"

The following students graduated Friday:

Associate in Applied Science

Charlton: James Stoddard

Dudley: James Standring

Hopedale: Garrett Smith

Hopkinton: Leo Kopec

Hudson: Andrew Jensen

Marlboro: Michael Gillis

Millbury: Jamie Guzzetti

North Brookfield: Daniel Befford

Orange: Arthur Savage

Oxford: Thomas ScahillWebster: Stephen Kohut, Raymond Libby

Westford: Kathleen Flynn

Winchendon: Martin Duval

Worcester: Jonathan Cederlund, Julio Santana, John Semavor, Michael Tortora

Associate in Arts

Auburn: Cassandra Cataldo, Amanda Dulmaine, Kevin Hurstak, Hannah Lane, Calli McLean, Carrie Orth, Katherine Pace, Jennifer Stockenberg, Maria Trigiano

Barre: Scott Blaydes

Berlin: Nathaniel Taylor

Blackstone: Yolande Deryck

Boylston: Mark Lambert, Lorah Linnell, Kimberly Mann

Brookfield: Amy Jefferson, Joseph Shirley

Charlton: Kristina Bylund, Michael Flynn, Patricia Harris, Edward Moran

Cherry Valley: Brooke Breault, Kevin Njogu, Kristen Stuart

Clinton: AlfredJoseph Allen, Jamie Delmonico, Stephanie Traylor

East Douglas: Beth Bergstrom, Dylan Latimer, Cynthia Plantinga

Fitchburg: Irene Berantuo, April-Lynn Forest, Martha Quirk

Gardner: Jamie Lynch, Shayla Thomas

Grafton: Erich DeLorie

Holden: Nicole Brooks, Jennifer DeWitt, Daniel Griffin, Heather Grimes, Michael Grinnell, Daniel King, Todd Miller, Jenny Parker, Cathleen Ramsdell, Abdelkrim Saihi, Sebastian Vasquez

Holland: Christine Croke

Hopedale: Marianna Doyle

Hopkinton: Amanda Horan, Ruth Richardson

Jefferson: Timothy Campbell, Emily McCarthy

Lancaster: Tyler Medeiros, Kalen Stafford

Leicester: Karisa Badosa, Michael Belanger, Crystal Eager, Robert Jarobski, Kelley Norris, Serena Smith

Leominster: Anthony Calabro, Gonzalo Silva, Kayla Tata

Marlboro: Jennifer DiBuono, Jillian Sottile

Milford: Andrew Bettina, Marilia Bonorino, Bethany Vignone, Carolynn Williams

Millbury: Jerrica Bradshaw, Maria Brohin, Daisy Chege, Careena Connors, James Fitzpatrick

North Brookfield: Melinda Cummings

North Grafton: Rochelle Bechard, Samantha Schroeder, Nicholas Tonelli

North Oxford: Christopher Basiul, Emily Mangaudis

Northboro: Krystal Bellizzi, Jared Tetreault, Holly Turner

Northbridge: Pantelis Berdos, Rachel Curtis, Nicholas Hadley, Caitlyn Langlois

Oakham: Victoria Bollivar, Shelley Chase, Evan Hendra

Oxford: Joshua Biernacki, Alexander Buel, Megan Gray, Paul Joyce, Cassie Kimball, Gloria Liseno, Gayle Longtin, Natalie Marcotte, Heaven Pajala, Scott Patterson, Tammy Rebello, Brittney Stisitis, Jorge Vazquez

Paxton: Caitlin Clapp, Kimberly Stalmok

Rochdale: Marlise Grammatic, Erica O'Rourke

Rutland: Lindsey Drakos, Michael LaPorte, Bethany Willson

Shrewsbury: Jennifer Carr, Shi Chen, Patricia Colonies, Nicole Dickson, Tina Dupont, Billie Farley, Ruth Febo, Amy Godfrey, David Harrington, Jenna Hartman, Timothy Lacroix, Erika McKenzie, Fatouma Morou Hima, Kaylee Rodriguez, Elizabeth Stewart

South Grafton: Behzad Bakhshandeh, Amber Charest, Michael Sutherland

Southboro: Amanda Lambert

Southbridge: Jesse Brousseau, Wander Cristian, Alicia Daoust, Annie Houendjou-Badjio, Christine Krikorian, Kirsten Larson, Patricia Macneil, Sarah Peloquin, Maegan Quinn, Stephanie Smith, Abigail St. Laurent

Spencer: Donna Barber, Brendan Carlson, Matthew Dainys, Donna Leo, Daniel Mongeon, Randi Mull, Nicole Philbrick, Jennifer Stewart, Tracy Tabicas

Sterling: William Aubin, Matthew Finizio, Kaitlyn Walsh

Sturbridge: Sue Fafard-Desrosiers, Tanya Gilman, Owen Perreault, Joshua Perry

Sutton: Stephanie Antaya, Britany Berube, Adisson Kahale, Sylvia Louw, Nicole Novak, Amanda Perreault

Thompson: Nicole Berry

Wales: William Bozenhard

Warren: Eleanor Blodgett

Webster: Leah Bellavance, Albert Bercume, Michelle Daigle, Aleshia LeBeau, Amanda Lincoln, Chesney O'Neill, Jessica Rydzewski...

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