FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2014
Contact: Wendy Smith (307) 674-6446 ext. 2801/Email wsmith @ sheridan.edu
Gillette College graduation ceremony Friday; to present honorary degrees
Gillette College’s 24th annual Commencement Ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. at the Cam-plex Spirit Hall on Friday, May 9. More than 300 degrees and certificates were earned by Gillette College students this year.
Other graduates being recognized at GC Commencement are those earning General Education Diplomas as well as bachelor and master degree candidates, and honorary degree recipients.
“Graduation represents a milestone in our students’ lives,” said Gillette College Vice President and CEO Dr. Mark Englert. “Congratulations to the class of 2014.”
The Commencement Ceremony will include performances by the Celtic Colorado Pipes and Drums, and Energy City Voices, the presentation of the GC President’s Award, and a commencement address by retired historian and former Wyoming politician Pete Simpson.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Gillette College at 686-0254.
The Gillette College nursing pinning will take place on Friday at 11 a.m. inside the Cam-plex Heritage Center. It is also free and open to the public.
For the first time, the Northern Wyoming Community College District will award honorary degrees. The recipients include Alice Bratton, Mel Heckman and Neltje. Bratton will receive an Associate of Applied Science in nursing, for her lifelong work with Campbell County’s health care system as a practicing nurse, as an educator at Gillette College, and for her service on many health-related boards.
Neltje will receive an Associate of Fine Arts for her contribution to expanding the visual and performing arts culture of Wyoming; for her work in assisting aspiring artists and writers through the Jentel Residency program; and for her generous philanthropic endeavors which allow young people the opportunity to study the arts.
Heckman, a Pearl Harbor Survivor, will receive an Associate of Arts in history for his heroic actions during World War II; his ongoing service to Wyoming veterans, especially at the Sheridan VA Medical Center and with the Disabled Veterans of America program; and his dedication to educating generations about the war.
Bratton will receive her honorary degree at Gillette College’s Commencement Ceremony. Neltje and Heckman will receive their honorary degrees at Sheridan College’s Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 10.
