Elizabethtown Community and Technical College celebrated the accomplishments of its students Monday with their spring graduation ceremony, held at Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown.
ECTC says the college expects to award 725 degrees and diplomas along with around 1,200 certificates to students that completed coursework this spring.
ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate said Tuesday that graduation is a celebration for the students and the community.
“When a student comes to Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, they’re going to get relevant education for being here,” Pate said. “They’re probably going to stay here, which means they are going to be a vibrant, contributing part of our community. That’s where we want to be as a college, and to get to see that last night, that’s what makes graduation so special.”
Pate said the investment these students make in themselves by continuing their education pays dividends in multiple ways.
“Roughly half of our students do go on to transfer for a four year degree and that kind of thing, but because they’ve spent those first two to three years here after high school making connections in the community, probably getting that first job here in the community, the data shows that they are more likely to get that degree and stay here,” Pate said.
Whether a student stays in the area or ventures elsewhere, the college is still doing what it set out to do.
“The mission of the college is to add value to the lives of our students and then return that value back out into the community, and that value is represented in those lives that have bettered themselves by getting skills and knowledge that they didn’t have,” Pate said.
Enrollment for summer classes and the fall semester is currently open. Visit ECTC on the web or contact the college for more information.
