(SINGING) O, say can you see,
by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at
the twilight's last gleaming. Whose broad stripes
and bright stars, through the perilous
fight, o'er the ramparts we watched were so
gallantly streaming. And the rocket's red glare,
the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there. O, say does that
star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free
and the home of the brave. right, Thank you, NWTC chorus,
for that moving rendition of the National Anthem. Distinguished guests,
faculty, staff, and graduates, welcome to the May 2021
commencement of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. We would like to start the
ceremony with an important land acknowledgment. The region served by Northeast
Wisconsin Technical College occupies the ancestral home
of the Menominee Nation, who have persisted here
in northeast Wisconsin from recorded history
to the present day. The college's Green
Bay campus exists upon lands ceded to the Oneida
Nation by the Menominee Nation. Northeast Wisconsin
Technical College acknowledges this same
land as sacred, historical, and significant to the
Menominee and Oneida Nations, as are the lands of all
sovereign First Nations people. As we begin today's
ceremony, I would like to introduce you to
some very important people, and that is the
board of trustees. These people assist
and guide the college in meeting the needs of the
communities, businesses, and students in the region. David Mayer, who is
chair, Cathy Dworak, who is vice chair, Gerald
Worrick, secretary, Richard Stadelman, treasurer,
Carla Hedtke, Jeff Rickaby, Dorothy Sadowski, Kim
Schanock, and Ben Villarruel. NWTC's faculty and staff
have played a huge role in why we are here tonight. They guide the
course of the college and make student success the
center of everything we do. They ensure our students get
hands-on, relevant experience in their chosen careers. They work to provide
well-trained, well-rounded graduates who
successfully contribute to family and community
as they pursue careers that fuel our
businesses and local economy. Lastly, I'd like to
recognize the family and friends of tonight's grads. You have been through a
lot to get here tonight. In the past couple of
years, as your graduate pursued education and career
goals, you were there. You shared in the
little victories, you listened to the
stories of disappointment, and you may have carried
extra weight on your shoulders so your loved one
could focus on college. Thank you for
supporting your graduate through all the ups and downs. Tonight is a huge
celebration for you as well. Graduates, your
graduation year, 2021, started out much like 2020. And truthfully, 2020
wasn't a whole lot of fun for most of us. So here we are, continuing
our lives, masked, physically distanced, and having
a virtual graduation. But there is a glimmer
of hope on the horizon, and that's where we should keep
our sights, on the horizon. Your future is on the horizon. As our newest graduates
you are equipped with the knowledge and
skills to do great things, to thrive in a career that
supports you and your families, to love what you do, to
pursue a higher degree, to make a difference
in your communities with your expertise. You are graduating
at a time when our nation may feel divided,
and our world may seem unsteady. My hope is that you
take your NWTC education and make a difference. Take your skills
and values and put them to work in your
own communities, from Crivitz to Marinette,
from Aurora to Green Bay. Of course, your
career aspirations may take you to other places
in our state, country, or around the world. My hope is that
wherever you go, you think of your time at Northeast
Wisconsin Technical College and remember not only
the skills you learned, but the common bond
you have and share with your fellow graduates
who, at first, seemed so different than you. Remember that we can all
accomplish great things when we look past our surface
level differences, and even our deeper differences,
and work together. So congratulations to
our 2,000 new alumni on completing your credentials,
whether they are certificates, diplomas, or associate degrees. And an extra congratulations
to the students who are graduating
with special notations, including more than
800 being awarded with honors or high honors,
150 members of Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society,
11 international students, and more than 70 are
veterans or are currently serving our country. As you all grow in your
careers and education, know that NWC family is
immensely proud of you. Remember, you will
always be an Eagle. And know that we
are here for you, whether you want to continue
advancing your knowledge and skills, or become active
in our Alumni Association. Always keep learning and
be open to new ideas. Class of 2021, good
luck in your endeavors. Congratulations,
and keep soaring. It is now my privilege to
introduce our student speaker for the evening. Alma Lopez is NWTC's
2021 District Ambassador. As a District Ambassador, Alma
will encourage and advocate the importance of
technical education within Northeast Wisconsin. Alma is a respiratory therapy
student with an anticipated graduation date of May 2022. Alma's nomination
sponsor commented, "one of the things I
admire most about Alma is her incredible
positive outlook on life. Her story and all she's
overcome, not only while she's been at the NWTC, but
prior to coming to school, will touch your heart. Alma is the definition
of resiliency, and she is a great
example for all students to see that school
can be a possibility." When asked why she
chose and NWTC, Alma stated, "I chose NWTC
because it was more affordable than a traditional four
year program at a UW school, and also, because it
was close to home. It was also a
familiar place for me, as my father graduated from a
welding certification program 20 years ago, and the campus
drew my attention ever since." Please give a warm
welcome to Alma Lopez. Thank you, Dr. Rafn. Hello. My name is Alma Lopez,
and I am this year's NWTC's District Ambassador. It is my pleasure to welcome you
to NWTC's Spring 2021 Virtual Commencement. I am honored to address and
congratulate our graduates. I am a full-time
mother and student in the respiratory program
set to graduate in 2022. I am also a proud Phi
Theta Kappa member. I would like to begin with a
quote by F Scott Fitzgerald that Dr. Angelo Kolokithas,
my microbiology instructor, shared with me. It says, "for what it's
worth, it's never too late--" or too early, in my case-- "to be whoever you want to be. There is no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules
to this thing. We can make the best
of the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things
that startle you. I hope you feel things
you've never felt before. I hope you meet people with
a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're
proud of, and if you're not, I hope you have the courage
to start over again." I feel this quote,
deep within my soul and feel blessed to have
felt and experienced some of his advice
this past year has been one we
shall never forget. It was unlike any other
year in recent history, with a global pandemic
that ultimately changed the way we do things,
including work and college. At times, some of us
were hanging by a thread, but each of you managed to
push through and graduate. You did it. There might be times
in our future lives where we feel like it might
be the end of the world. I encourage you to keep
pushing towards your goals and be proud of
who you are, just like you did to get here today. I would encourage all of you
to take these memories with you as a reminder of all of the
hard work you put in to succeed. And again, I hope you live
a life you're proud of, and if you're not, I
hope you have the courage to start over again. Thank you. Go Eagles. Thank you, Alma, and
good evening, everyone. My name is Ian Nishimoto, and
I'm an instructor in the Public Safety Department. It is my honor to provide
the faculty remarks on behalf of all
NWTC instructors and the entire learning
division at the college. Congratulations to all of you
as our graduating class of 2021. One of our most effective
assessment methods we use to evaluate
our students is through the use of scenarios. We train and evaluate decisions
of our students choosing the right course
of action to remedy the situation they may be in. Four main components
required for them to succeed is to pause, think,
choose, and act. The scenarios varied from less
intense to extremely intense. For training and
safety purposes, the instructor is right
beside the student during the scenario. When the student is about to
choose a course of action, the instructor gives
the command, pause. The student pauses
and the instructor will ask, what are
you thinking of doing? If the student chooses the
incorrect course of action, the instructor will say
the word, ineffective. The student will then choose
another course of action until he or she chooses a
proper course of action. Once the correct course
of action is chosen, the instructor will say
the command, continue, and the student will
act upon that decision. As many of us are aware, our
communities are on high alert because they're
becoming more violent. If you find yourself in
an intense situation that could lead to irreversible
negative consequences, instead of picking up
weapons, such as hate, anger, or vengeance, I
invite you to pause, think, choose, and act upon
the correct course of action. You can start by being a service
to those in your community with the new skills
you learned at NWTC. Being a service to
those around you is one of the most
effective choices to help make this a
better place to live. Choose service and act on it. Everyone wins, and it is to
make this a better place. Until we meet again, remember to
pause, think, choose, and act. Congratulations again from
all NWTC faculty on all that you have accomplished. You have so much to be proud of. Best of luck to you
in your next chapter. Thank you. Graduates, by the
authority vested in me by the Board of Trustees of
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and the
state of Wisconsin, I now confer upon each of
you the appropriate degree, diploma, or certificate,
with all the privileges and responsibilities
thereto pertaining. Congratulations
to all graduates. We will be announcing the
highest degree earned. College of Business,
Adam Blodgett. Laura Bowler. Alyssa Gladwell. Andrew Goff. Alisa Haulotte. Megan Hendrickson. Samuel Hubert. Deanna Jaimes. Sharon LaCount. Asusena Lopez. Nikia Massey. Marissa O'Leary. Maria Parolini. Van Pozarski. Michael Stepp. Leah Tatro. Kayla Besson. Jessica Egvedt. Anne Pamperin. Brilee Schreiber. Anna Solter. Holly Vanderveren. Stephanie Vaughn. Lexi Wasmuth. Julie Gaston. Maryan Aded. Jason Appel. Kate Beauchamp. Neahmia Brunner. Merary Cordova Delgado. Eli Jordan. Phillip Kawula. Lilian Madrid. Elizabeth Sundquist. Brooklyn Cloutier. Elisabeth Mertens. Victoria Aviles. Miranda Duval. Fatima Meza. Alexis Yates. Marcus Young. Joshua Gherardini. Heather Janey. Elizabeth Kirsteatter. Derek Peters. Johanna Quezada. Kate Reiner. Marina Templin. Taylor Williams. Jordan Dietsche. Joshua Buntin. Keyonna Gellin. Madeleine Hanson. Montana Olsen. Melissa Pajula. Grayson Ruiz. Scott Smith Jr. Abigail Thor. Katie Aldrich. Marley Baker. Maria Gonzalez. Jessica Krekowski. Jennifer Lee. Vikkimarie Lemke. Madalynn Marcial. Natalie Markelz. Sara Powless. Angelina Red Hail. Yarldine Rivera Diaz. Kayla Schmidt. Christopher Fowler. Hunter Noel. Abbey Danforth. Austin Gallenberger. Leo Skarlupka. Molly Vollrath. Claire Coppens. William Fralin. Chad Guaraggi. Joseph Hansen. Christine Knudson. Hannah Moder. Nick Schuchard. Ethan Zeutzius. Margaret Schwartz. Barbara Jordan. Valeri Lane. Mariah Payette. Regina Rathsack. Linley Bruntz. Allyson Crandall. Shelly Kaminski. Ana Rivas. Katherine Taft. Joshua Gentz. George Montejano. Omar Aboseada. Travis Eifler. Blake Gromoske. Elizabeth Van Pay. Kelly Yorkson. Brandon Zettel. Jessica Marquez. Ronald Lawrence. Jessica Dionne. Michael Conklin. Jamie Cornell. Ashley Czeshinski
Conneja Stewart. Vickie Bodart. DiDi Lundquist. Ruth Ndjita Onya. Cassie Wilke. Brendan Bair. The General Studies Department. Ayimahin Kpedo. Aneta Kuzma. Gernaeva Horton. Lucas Weisshappel. Sierra Prahl. Elizabeth Dietdrich. Paige Hyden. Madelyn Krawze. Health Sciences and Education. Monet Bastia. Julia Jacobson. McKenzie Andersen. Natalie Briggs. Kayla DeMars. Kalyn Puyleart. Alycia Thao. Angela Flegel. Alyson Flunker. Tabitha Kolell. Miranda Liang. Madeleine Nielsen. Jaenette Sandoval. Holly Scheidler. Mariah Strohl. Ashley Van Dyke. Bailey Van Hoof-Stauff. Erin Wolf. Hailey Geyer. Megan Plunkett. Stephanie Bogart. Melissa Cumber. Nakiva Bell-Smalls. Cassandra Charnota. Tammy Halverson. Faith Harley. Travis Provo. Megan Ryan. Madalynn Schneider. Kee Xiong. Miranda Holley. Jessica Hughes. Michaela Guilette. Monica Guilette. Ashley Brosig. Michelle Cormier. Aliyah Gabriel. Amber Hellmann. Courtney Sato. Courtney Smythe. Carli Duescher. Andrew Reddick. Jessica Kohlbeck. Vicki Reed. Barbara Smeester. Jennifer Tepsa. Kristen Wartella. Heidi Persson. Jasmine Rodriguez. Edelyn Fox. Amy Turner. Emmie Jahnke. Mary Lee-Thor. Kendralee Milan. Emily Soung. Patricia Pietila. Rhonda Richlen. Megan Boulanger. Paige Boulanger. Amy Crandall. Brooke Hill. Alycia Lackey. Tammy Xiong. Emma Alonso. Amanda Antonson. La Tanya bell. Brittany Beyer. Paige Beyer. Kristen Bornick. Carol Bretton. Brittany Burch. Halle Burkhalter. Cassie Bustos. Jill Caelwaerts. Erin Ducaine. Trisha Erickson. Crystal Erler. Ruby Fong-Gamez. Cynthia Gezekka. Kersten Gibson. Crystal Guevara. Courtney Guilette. Josephine Guzik. Samantha Hacker. Alison Hallfriesch. Emma Hammond. Julie Hennigan. Lauren Hoffenbecker. Katie Hynek. Benedict Janowski. Amanda Jonet. Josephine Klarkowski. Jacquelyn Lawatsch. Brianna Lipp. Alyssa Lloyd. Clara Longlais. Theresa Mabry. Ashley Martino. Joanna Maus. Jessica Medina Reyes. Kathryn Moore. Gracie Nasgovitz. Sylvester Ndifor. Heather Nobles. Hannah Owens. Sarah Pettit. Nicole Pisani. Ali Powers. Addey Quigley. Rachel Reif. Samantha Rohan. Tiffany Schroeder. Alexandria Schuh. Kelly Schumacher. Adam Shirek. Melinda Smith. Melissa Thompson. Ashley Tilly. Lisa Tremel. Madison Vine. Kami Vlies. Alyssa Wicks. Ashley Wittmann. Judy Freiberg. Sarah Puyleart. Amanda Champagne. Susan Gillette. Ryleigh Klaver. Jason Linssen. Alexis Livieri. Angelia Radosevich. Megan Rolston. Ellysa Schill. Gina Sommerfeld. Kaitlyn Thill. Chelsea Turcotte. Whitney Burhans Redenius. Leanna Coshenet. Christian DallaSanta. Dawn Fischer. Raquel Graham. Amy Hilton. Tanisha Johnson. Samantha Leiterman. Rheannan Linssen. Kristin Mike. Mafdalene Nakaweesa. Sara Piotrowski. Lilia Pulukchu. Tyler Roloff. Elizabeth Schmidt. Sara Schmidt. autumn Schunke. Halie Siudzinki. Danielle Boucher. Olivia Bretl. Allyson Gajeski. Miguel Green-Prokopovitz. Braden Mook. Tasha Fischer. Erika Braun. Logan Buettner. Miranda Carstens. Perside Djengue. Jeffrey Grady. Teresa Henning. Alejandra Lopez. Stephanie Meulemans. Kaley Petrick. Amanda Spiering. Kyla Van Remortel. Hailey Zimdars. Heidi Alfaro. Laura Barrueta. Julie Giordano. Desaray Granquist. Sara Krueger. Miriam Lebre. Julian McMahon. Lisa Morrison. Stephanie Prevost. Rose Purdy. Hailey Salmeri. Morghan Strachan. Philip Turnbull. Katie Arthur. Carissa Dewitt. Robyn French. James Mueller. Public Safety. Ashley Delveaux. Cody Dey. Victoria Ellis. Kyle Phillips. Laolowu Moua. Kayla Mueller. Jamie Pavlekovich. Margaret Caldwell. Ebony Becker. Theron Gohde. Tomas Baxter. Rachel Muehrcke. Stephanie Martinez. Katrina Mills. Gail Nohr. Alice Santiago Cintron. Melissa Thao. Nancy Thao. Trades and Engineering
Technologies. Cole Cartrette. Fernando Nunez. Christa Weyenberg. Favour Butterfield. Stacey Gwidt. Joshua Roberts. Brody Bahde. Ethan Block. Ethan Brown. Houston Eckstrom. Corey Guse. Darian Malenchini. Zachary Waite. Keith Xiong. Will Morgan. Coleman Talbot. Kirby Gershon. Nathanial Smith. Alexis Volsky. Austin Thome. Walker Hipke. Travis Plym. Ben Desotelle. Austin Griep. Winston Holly. Hudson Lebresh. Aaron Mansur. Stanley Maruszczak
Jr. Dan Schmidt. Dakota Srnka. Cody Williams. David Pesmark. Jonah Kolell. Alex Braun. Wyatt DeVares. Dominic Krauel. Emma Norbotten. Shawn Sandahl. Michael Brokiewicz. Breonna Burnette. Jose Flores. Clint Heimerl. Patrick Konyn. Nicholas Pribyl. Kyle Bruemmer. Gracien Onya. Lauren Rine. Bo Buhr. Jesse Henschel. Rachel Shedal. Adam Conine. Austin Thome. Juan Gabriel
Barahona Valenciano. Luke Tomberlin. Connor Preston. Ramon Rivera. Joseph Anderson. Eric Benzow. Gabriel Brennan. Wyatt Coburn. Montana Diehm. Ariana Fadroski. Dylan Golik. Scott Hallermann. Quinn Hoefgen. Tavaris Jackson. Christopher Kasten. Jessica Kerscher. Lukas Kubelka. Gage Larson. Gabriel Maynes. Bryan Mcclurg. Kadie Miron. Spencer Paris. Brandon Peters. Steven Plong. Hunter Preston. Samantha Radtke. Luis Rivera DeJesus. Kayla Shepeck. Chaz Sleeter. Milton Thorn. Dakota Vanrite. Devon Zielinski. Will all the
graduates please rise. As graduates of the college,
you may now move your tassels from the right to the left. Ladies and gentlemen, I present
to you, the class of 2021. And let me be the first to
welcome our graduates as alumni of Northeast Wisconsin
Technical College. I would like to thank all
graduates, staff, family, and friends for attending this
truly memorable college event. Congratulations, again,
and we look forward to our paths crossing
in the future. I hereby declare this May, 2021
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Commencement
to be adjourned. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC - "POMP AND
CIRCUMSTANCE"]
