Celebrating our graduates: 50th annual Commencement ceremony June 9

Naji Ali, 2017 Commencement speaker

Edmonds Community College will celebrate its 50th annual Commencement ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 9, at XFINITY Arena in Everett. 

As the Irish poet William Butler Yeats once said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” 

"We honor and applaud the hard work, talent, and persistence of our graduates as they begin to realize their unlimited potential," Edmonds CC President Dr. Jean Hernandez said. "This achievement is a milestone on the path of their journey of lifelong learning. We know that this is only the beginning for our graduates and anticipate that their success will blaze a trail for future Edmonds CC students." 

In 2016-17, Edmonds CC awarded 1,843 degrees, certificates, diplomas, and GEDs. The youngest graduate is 17, and the oldest is 70.

Barbara Wulff, 2017 Commencement speaker

This year’s student commencement speakers are Naji Ali, 23, and Barbara Wulff, 42.

2016-17 Graduating Class –– By the Numbers:

• 1,843 degrees, certificates, diplomas, and GEDs
  (1,479 without GED count included)
• 42 percent earned college transfer degrees (772 degrees)
• 38 percent earned career degrees or certificates (707 degrees and certificates)
• 20 percent completed GEDs or high school diplomas
  (174 GEDs, plus 190 diplomas for a total of 364)
• 29 – average age of graduates
• 54 percent female
• 46 percent male
• 26 percent international students
• 70 – age of oldest graduate, Associate of Technical Arts – Nursery/Greenhouse Specialization and two horticultural certificates
• 17 – age of youngest graduate, Associate in Science: Track 1

Information based on May 2017 data.