BCCC graduates 216

Published 1:24 am Sunday, May 15, 2011

For Beaufort County Community College student Lauren Davis, Friday’s graduation exercises represented the end of a 110-mile round-trip drive from her home in Tyrrell County to the classroom in Washington, and the beginning of her career as a nurse.

“It’s a relief,” she said as she posed for photographs with her parents, Todd and Paula Oliver. “It’s been a long time.”

Davis, 22, earned an associate’s degree in nursing from BCCC Friday and is scheduled to begin working as a nurse at Beaufort County Medical Center where she has worked as an aide for the past few years.

For Paula Oliver, the moment was an emotional one that she shared with her daughter.

“It’s a milestone,” she said as she wiped tears from her eyes. “I am thankful and I am proud of her.”

With an improving economic outlook across the state, Oliver is just one of the BCCC grads who received their diplomas Friday and walked off the stage and into a job.

For Andy Hill of Washington Friday’s graduation ceremony represented the end of a quest for a career that will keep him closer to home with his three children.

As an archeologist, Hill, 34, was out of town for months at a time. He decided to return to school and pursue an associate’s degree in nursing from BCCC and soon begins work as a nurse in the cardiovascular intermediate unit at Pitt County Memorial Hospital.

“It was something I was drawn to,” he said. “It makes a difference in people’s lives.”

Another graduate who joins Davis and Hill in the work force is Josh Clayton of Falkland. Clayton received an associate’s degree in automotive system’s technology from BCCC on Friday.

“It’s a long road getting here,” Clayton said. “I finally made it.”

Friday night, some 216 BCCC students received 197 degrees, diplomas and certificates and 19 high school equivalency degrees from Mitchell St. Clair, chairman of the BCCC Board of Trustees at the college’s 44th-annual commencement exercises held at Washington High School.

They received advice from a local doctor with strong ties to the college who has practiced medicine for more than 20 years.

Dr. Karen A. Thomas began her studies at BCCC and is a cum laude graduate of East Carolina University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1983.

After completing her studies at ECU, Thomas earned a medical degree from the ECU School of Medicine in 1987 and completed a family practice residency at Anderson Memorial Hospital in Anderson, S.C., in 1990.

Dr. Thomas returned to BCCC in 2003 where she studied writing under instructor Brian Oesterreich. She is the author of several articles for medical and general circulation periodicals including “Straight from the Heart: Dr. Randolph Chitwood, cardiac surgery,” published in Our State in 2005, and “A lighthearted way to attract new patients,” published in Medical Economics in 2008.

Referring to a recent movie, she said, “Forrest Gump was wrong. Life is not like a box of chocolates. Life is like an IPod. It sounds an awful lot like what you put in it.

“Keep adding to your playlist. As you add to the soundtrack of your life, I encourage you to learn, to play, to share. … Not only will you enrich your lives, you’ll enrich our lives as well.”

Milton Cobb, president of the BCCC Student Government Association, presided over the ceremony attended by about 1,000 family members and guests of the graduates.

David McLawhorn, BCCC president, welcomed those attending the graduation exercises.

Awards went to James Terry Draper, Justin Trent Hill and Amanda Grace Rose, who were recognized with the highest academic average in the college transfer programs, and Christopher L. Garrison, who was recognized with the highest academic average in associate in applied science degree programs.

Draper earned an associate’s degree in general education, Garrison an associate’s degree in business administration and Hill and Rose, associate in arts degrees.

While some of Friday’s graduates were going directly into the work force, some were continuing their studies.

After receiving his high school equivalency degree Friday, Victor Wilcox of Vanceboro plans to pursue criminal justice studies at BCCC with the goal of becoming a law enforcement officer.

“It feels really nice that he finally finished up,” said Wilcox’s older brother, Kelly, who traveled from Suffolk, Va., to witness the ceremony.

For Latisha Mills of Engelhard, Friday’s graduation represented only a pause in her studies. Mills, 30, earned an associate’s degree in accounting and will begin pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accounting this fall from East Carolina University.

“I am excited,” she said. “It’s an accomplishment.”

For her husband, Fred Mills Jr., the graduation ceremonies meant a temporary end to eating cold sandwiches for dinner to give his wife more time to concentrate on her studies.

“I’ll be eating a whole lot better now that she can cook again for at least two months,” he said. “Then it’s back to sandwiches.”