44th HCC Commencement Ceremony to be Held May 7

Hopkinsville Community Colleges 44th Commencement Ceremony will take place Friday evening, May 7, at 7:00 p.m., at the James E. Bruce Conference and Convention Center, located at 303 Conference Center Drive in Hopkinsville.

According to HCC Registrar, Ruth Ann Rettie, 562 HCC students have applied for 1,118 credentials, 499 two-year degrees, 578 certificates, and 41 diplomas.

The commencement speaker for this years ceremony will be Congressman Ed Whitfield. Whitfield, a native of Hopkinsville, was elected to Congress in 1994 as the first Republican to represent Kentuckys First Congressional District. He earned a bachelors degree and juris doctorate from the University of Kentucky. He also studied at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., where he now serves on the Board of Governors. Whitfield also served as a 1st Lieutenant in the 100th Division of the U.S. Army Reserves. Congressman Whitfield served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974-75 while practicing law in Hopkinsville, where he operated a successful oil distributorship in the west Kentucky coalfields. He currently serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Presiding at the ceremony will be HCC President Dr. James Selbe, who will also present graduation credentials to the class of 2010. Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Jason Warren will serve as master of ceremonies and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Kris Williams will present the candidates for graduation.

The colleges faculty, staff, and administration invite the community to celebrate the educational achievements of the Hopkinsville Community College Class of 2010 at our commencement ceremonies, said Selbe. We recognize the hard work that a student must put forth to achieve their educational goals. Many times their family and friends must also sacrifice to ensure the student is successful. HCC wants all of those loved ones to be able to see their graduate receive their credentials. HCC will stream the ceremony live online so even those who live out of town or are serving overseas can share in this special event.