BCC Graduates Embraced for Varying Journeys to Degrees
LENOX, Mass. — Navigating community college was a different journey for each student but each path leads to the gratifying destination of a degree or certificate.
During Berkshire Community College's 64th commencement, 189 students graduated under sunny skies at Tanglewood. Nearly 30 different associate degrees and certificates totaling 191 were awarded to scholars of all ages and life experiences who are bound by their time at BCC.
President Ellen Kennedy began with a tale about her love for using navigation apps to arrive at her destination, saying she recently had an epiphany about how different forms of transportation cover the same mile in varying amounts of time.
"Sometimes I've taken the same route for years without realizing that there's a better way. Efficiency might not always be my goal. Sometimes I prefer the scenic route or less traffic," she said.
"Why am I sharing this with you today? I realized that there are parallels between navigating to a destination and your journey to this graduation day. Some of you have traveled quickly like driving 60 miles an hour, others have moved more slowly, perhaps with assistive devices. The time it took to reach this milestone varies greatly among you."
She asked that the graduates recognize navigators who guided them on the journey, from parents and children to faculty members and advisors.
"Sometimes you didn't need much guidance," she said. "Other times, you relied heavily on navigators to show you a new path or to help you map out the way forward."
Valedictorian Jessica Hall and salutatorian Logan Osorio are examples of different paths that led to successful academic careers. Osorio had impatiently awaited college since elementary school while Hall's children could not believe that she was going back to school in her 40s.
Hall, an early education teacher for 12 years, received an associate of science in her field. She operates a daycare and was inspired to earn a degree in early childhood education to ensure she was providing the highest quality learning experience for children.
"Her story exemplifies the ripple effects of education," said Laurie Gordy, vice president for academic affairs. "As Jessica has already applied what she learns at BCC to teaching young children and her family child-care center."
Hall explained that she wears the hats of a wife, mother, grandmother, student, and professional.
"In 2012, I opened a family child care out of our home in Pittsfield and had many, many amazing experiences with families over the years. I love building relationships and it amazes me that the very first child enrolled in my program is now in 10th grade and I'm still in contact with that family," she said.
"I never anticipated going back to school in my 40s but after taking many trainings over the years to adjust my thinking and approach to early education, something changed during the session on dealing with unwanted behaviors. Working with small children can be difficult at times and helping a child work through their behaviors is a huge part of what we do. It lit a fire in me to go back to school and to get my degree in early education."
When Hall talked to her family about returning to school, her children looked at her like she was crazy and asked "Why?"
"I told them that it just makes sense. I am so invested in young children and helping their families," she said. "That is when I joined the early ed cohort and it has been an eye-opening experience where I have been able to connect with other professionals in the field and could share ideas and best practices."
Her mother was also a non-traditional student and remembering her hard work and perseverance made it clear that the degree was doable.
Hall's last three years have been full of assignments, presentations, papers, and the difficult task of balancing family and school. She reported spending more than one evening sitting in her car at the ballet studio or on a football field while completing schoolwork.
She noted a memorable assignment from her children's literature class where she read "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo. Coincidentally, her daughter was also reading the book for school and they worked on their assignments together, one of them still hanging in Hall's daycare.
When she received news of being BCC's 2024 valedictorian, Hall was "excited, overwhelmed and so very thankful." She thanked her family and advisers for supporting her along the way and urged her peers to keep learning.
"One thing that I keep thinking about as we conclude our time at BCC is that this is not the end. Going back to school as a non-traditional student helped me realize that you are never too old to learn something new. It could be a new perspective or a new subject. That is what I'm taking away most of my time at BCC," she concluded.
"As an early education teacher for the last 12 years, I have tried to create an environment of lifelong learning for the children in my care. Whether this is the end of your formal education or a continuation, you are all lifelong learners. I challenge you to look at other perspectives and to continue to learn, grow, and inspire those around you."
Osorio graduated with an associate of art in fine arts and as a guitarist and music producer.
"While at BCC, Logan was a member of the BCC Honors Scholar Program, tutor, and learned how to run the soundboard," Gordy said. "His story demonstrates how learning is both about self-improvement and societal improvement, as Logan sought to improve his performance and inspire others to do the same."
He first came to BCC "well over a decade ago" to attend preschool while his mother worked on her associate's degree. Watching her graduate instilled a goal to graduate college in the young Osorio and he became impatient, wanting his school work to go faster so that he could be in higher education.
"It dawned on me that this impatience made school less enjoyable and harder to get through," he said. "I realized that instead of letting myself spend my time upset that I wasn't in college, I could spend it happier and college would come in time. I needed to trust school and just keep showing up until I got to where I wanted to be and now I'm here."
Osorio had a similar realization with his creative pursuits, explaining that he "sucked" at music when he first started. This gave him feelings of frustration, inadequacy, and self-doubt.
"My brain learned to avoid this pain so for periods, I stopped creating. That was until I realized the frustration of not reaching my goals was the only thing keeping me from them. My frustration kept me from making beats and enjoying making beats. I needed to eliminate this frustration by embracing and trusting the process. I trusted in the school process and it got me through college. Now I needed to trust the creative process," he said.
"Producing is an important outlet for me and if I lost it, I'd have no way to get these thoughts out of my head. I need a way to process the things I've seen here every day and interpret old musical traditions like jazz, soul, and hip-hop in new ways. Embracing how bad my beats were, I kept working, enjoying, and savoring every development that made my beads a little less awful. When I revisit beats from months ago, I see clearly that trusting the process works."
Even as a better producer, Osorio said he still has days where he makes a horrible beat but recognizes this as part of the process, explaining "If I didn't have this mindset, it would have been too painful to keep working and I surely would have quit. In the same way, I have to imagine that if I hadn't conquered my frustration towards school, I would have lacked motivation."
He ended by reminding fellow graduates that the conclusion of this goal will lead to the birth of new goals for many.
"This goal may be very far off now and you may be very bad at it but rather than seeing this as a failure, I encourage and challenge you to see this as a necessary part of your journey."
Commencement speaker Charles Redd graduated from BCC in 1995 with a nursing degree. Kennedy said Redd has since dedicated his career to nursing in Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley, currently serving as the first diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for Berkshire Health Systems.
He recalled meeting Kennedy at Panera Bread in April and her asking if he would deliver the commencement speech, explaining "My life has come full circle and I have the opportunity once again to give back to an institution that is responsible for opening doors that I thought were closed."
It took all of his strength not to cry.
Redd said we all have stories of triumph, roadblocks, and struggles we need to overcome but "In our journey, we all share one thing in common: BCC, the jewel of the Berkshires."
"Outside of my amazing family, which my son and my daughter are sitting over here, the one accomplished I hold above all those is the associate's degree in nursing that I earned at BCC," he said.
"BCC was there when I was at my lowest point in life. BCC was there to help me when I did not value myself or think that I could ever amount to anything. When I think of BCC, I think of three words: hope, dignity, and possibilities."
On Redd's first day at the college in 1989, he was afraid due to his struggle with reading and writing — not yet understanding that he had dyslexia.
"I just thought it wasn't smart. It got to the point where I would write poorly so you couldn't notice that my spelling was terrible," he said. "I would try to avoid reading to my daughter because I was embarrassed because I struggled with reading. I would pray she will choose 'Goodnight, Moon' because I had that one down."
He detailed his professor "holding open the door for hope" by challenging him and providing a blueprint that resulted in Redd receiving one of the two As in the class. He thanked the professor for "Giving me hope when I felt hopeless."
On Redd's first day in the nursing program in 1993, he was told that half of the students would not make it to graduation because it was a full-time job.
"I didn't know what to do. I had to work two jobs because I had to take care of my family and I had to pay for school myself, all my books, and supplies," he said, explaining that BCC staff understood his situation and kept the door open for the opportunity to succeed.
"I had to do the work, but I could not have been successful if they had not treated me with dignity. Thank you."
He detailed finding a voice on the BCC Diversity Council, sharing his story and struggles of growing up as a Black youth in a single-parent home in Boston.
"Through our work on the diversity council, we shared and talked openly about the challenges we faced on campus and in the community," Redd explained. "I was learning to become a leader. I was learning to become the voice for those who struggle to speak up for themselves. That was me before I came to BCC."
He said the college made it clear that with hard work, the possibilities are endless.
"Hope, dignity, and possibilities. That is what BCC has given to me and all its students since 1960," he said.
"I haven't always been the best person. I haven't always made the best choices. My life began to change when I decided to come to BCC. They gave me hope for a better future. They showed me the importance of honor and dignity and that with hard work and perseverance, the possibilities are endless. I honor BCC every day by paying forward what they have given to me and that is to help open the door of opportunity for others."
The national anthem was sung by fine arts graduate James R. Hitchings, the processional and recessional were performed by the City of Albany (N.Y.) Pipe Band, and Sheriff Thomas Bowler did the call to order and closing of the ceremony. Graduates were presented mugs declaring them BCC alumni and a reception was held on the lawn.
