Congratulations, Class of 2015

Tonight, we will celebrate Flathead Valley Community College’s 47th graduating class. More than 400 graduates will take center stage and be recognized for the commitments and sacrifices they have made to get to this day.

They are four-year university bound students, hardworking parents, displaced workers, veterans and determined individuals who want to build better lives for themselves and their families. They are our neighbors, our family members, our friends and fellow citizens of our community. We are proud and honored to recognize these dedicated individuals who help make our valley the extraordinary place it is.

Our graduates are determined individuals who have put their hearts and souls into making it to this day. Many have overcome adversity, have spent hectic days and sleepless nights juggling their studies with their families and jobs, or have stepped out of their comfort zones, putting their pride aside to face and conquer their fears.

Others are veterans who have faced numerous challenges involved with the transition of returning home from war. Many are top high-school graduates who chose to start their college journeys at FVCC because of our outstanding faculty, exceptional quality of education and the significant cost savings we provide our students. Others are the first members of their families to graduate from college.

Each of our graduates has his or her own unique story. Yet all of their stories inspire us to follow our dreams, work harder, believe in ourselves and never give up, even when life seems to be too much to manage.

One of these graduates is Scott Brooke, who began his college journey at FVCC in 2013 as a nontraditional student. Relying on scholarships to help fund his education, Scott immediately became involved with the college’s Foundation, volunteering for scholarship fundraising events, sharing his story at our annual scholarship awards luncheon and serving as a Student Ambassador to express his appreciation to our generous donors and to advocate for continued scholarship support.

As a veteran, Scott has made it his mission to use his leadership and networking skills to help other veterans on our campus and in the community, and this past year, he served as president of the Veterans’ Association at FVCC. Under his leadership, membership has grown, the organization’s community involvement has increased substantially, and many new projects are in development to better the educational experience for the veterans we serve.

This year, Scott is among 201 college students from across the nation honored as a 2015 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow. The award honors inspiring college student leaders who have worked to find solutions for challenges facing their communities and who have demonstrated a personal commitment to creating lasting change to better their communities while making the most of their college experiences.

Another graduate is William “Buck” Breckenridge, who came to FVCC in pursuit of a surveying degree. A husband and the father of a young child, Buck’s goal of achieving a college education was driven by his dream of having more opportunities for leadership growth in his career field, while providing his family peace of mind that their future could remain in the Flathead Valley.

Buck’s commitment to his family and continued support of local charitable organizations was recognized by the FVCC Foundation through a $5,000 Transformation Scholarship to help fund his education and cost of living expenses while achieving his degree. Tonight, he has reached his goal, thanks to you — our generous and supportive community.

Scott and Buck join other shining graduates, like Zoe Glasser Breeding, who is one of 75 students nationwide selected for the 2015-2016 U.S. Congress German Bundestag Youth Exchange, a fully funded fellowship which supports a year of study in Germany. When she returns, she will venture to Wellesley College to continue her undergraduate studies in biology.

And then we have Lindsey Andrachick and Jessie Blanc, who lived in poverty and experienced homelessness during their youth. Years later, these under-educated mothers found each other at FVCC where they both came with the common goal of providing secure futures for their children. These remarkable women were among nine students who presented research at the National Honors Conference in Reno this spring, and tonight, they will graduate from our Honors Program.

It is stories like these that remind us of how important your college is to our community. I salute all of our graduates for their hard work, commitment and success. And I thank you, the citizens and taxpayers of our extraordinary community, for your continued support to make the dreams of our graduates come true. You have made today possible.

Please join me in congratulating our graduates and wishing them great success as they begin their next endeavors.

Karas is president of Flathead Valley Community College.