Colorado Mountain College graduates look to the future

BEAVER CREEK — For the pupils graduating from Colorado Mountain College’s Vail Valley Campus on Friday night, the commencement ceremony marked just the commencing. Possibly, it marked the beginning of new careers, of an educational journey, of a new journey or merely of a new life chapter — but all graduates were being beginning with a new degree or certificate from the neighborhood faculty.

“To the graduates we are celebrating nowadays, we know you embarked on your training journey with minimal plan of the problems that lay ahead. I’m confident there were several occasions when you asked you, ‘Can I do this? Will I get there?’ Perfectly we are now listed here to celebrate with you since you did,” said Marc Brennan, vice president and dean of Colorado Mountain College’s Vail Valley Campus, at Friday’s commencement.

“It is now time to acquire both of those the troubles you encountered together the way and the triumph of your journey and change it into your upcoming accomplishment story, since that chapter is just commencing to unfold,” Brennan continued.

The Course of 2022

Colorado Mountain College’s Vail Valley campus returned to the Vilar Accomplishing Arts Center in Beaver Creek on Friday evening for its 2022 graduation ceremony. The campus celebrated about 300 graduates, completing a myriad of certificates as effectively as bachelors and associates levels. Not all 300 graduates walked at the ceremony.

Of these, 100 were being area higher faculty pupils that took advantage of the concurrent enrollment classes in between the college and Eagle County Faculty District. Fourteen of these pupils participated in the graduation ceremony.

Brennan, in addressing the group at the start of the ceremony, emphasised the diversity and assortment of the 2022 course of graduates.

“At the Vail Valley Campus, the students mirror the group we stay in: We have many initial-generation pupils who are working to generate a legacy for their siblings and their communities we have many students who are functioning two or a few work opportunities to assist by themselves and their families even though they entire their diploma,” he explained. “What I see when I look at our pupils are individuals who are committed, difficult-doing work and determined to do well.”

The team of graduates on Friday definitely mirrored the community. Among them ended up everybody from higher faculty learners which include Victoria Aragon, who lately obtained the Boettcher Scholarship, early childhood staff looking for certification, potential instructors, potential cafe proprietors and even Eagle County Sheriff James van Beek.

Van Beek graduated on Friday with a Bachelor of Used Science in Management and Administration from the campus. Addressing the crowd — as all graduates who walked have been invited to do — van Beek stated that next his high college graduation 39 many years in the past, he’s experienced a extended journey of figuring out what he desired to do when he grew up.

“I’ve been constantly heading to school, with a primary concentration on technological educational facilities. (I was educated in automobile mechanics and then helicopters right before going into legislation enforcement.) I’d gotten my diploma in criminal justice, but I desired to problem myself and develop my know-how and knowledge that didn’t just emphasis on prison justice but lent to my current placement,” Van Beek said in a Thursday interview with the Vail Day by day. “CMC made available accurately what I was looking for as significantly as degree courses personnel that was accessible to guide in any way, the versatility in course schedules, superb instructors and curriculum, and it was near to residence.”

While van Beek’s foreseeable future immediately after graduation might be a little different than that of some his fellow graduates — particularly continuing his present purpose, and managing for re-election in November — he did impart some terms of wisdom to his classmates on Friday.

“Because I’m possibly the oldest 1 in the group in this article, one of the classes I’m likely to give you is: Don’t forget as you go out into the earth, you want to function to stay, you really don’t want to are living to do the job,” he mentioned.

Also amongst the graduates was Diana Loera, who gained a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and learning with two endorsements: culturally and linguistically varied instruction (and bilingual education and learning expert). Loera has now been employed to teach at Edwards Elementary in the drop. For her, she’s excited for the potential and shaping the minds of her foreseeable future college students.

“CMC has been an unbelievable support in the course of my pathway acquiring my degree,” Loera explained. “CMC supplied me with the educational, emotional and monetary aid I wanted to obtain my desire of becoming a bilingual and multicultural educator.”

Also in the class was Julissa Olivares, a to start with-technology university university student that gained a Bachelor of Science in Company Administration. Olivares gained a scholarship from TRIO — a federally funded application, specially for initially-era learners — to go to the university. With her diploma, she plans to improve fiscal literacy in the local local community as a economical advisor.

Other graduates walked across the phase celebrating new futures that employ their levels, be it in nursing, culinary management, emergency drugs, biology, details engineering, criminal justice and much more.

“(CMC is) a magical place and a good deal of men and women never know how spectacular it is and getting a student is and how significantly your assist of us actually will get us in this article, so thank you so much,” mentioned Angela Gould, choking back tears as she walked across the stage to acquire her Bachelor of Used Science in Management and Management.

1 graduate, Theley Sherpa, who gained both of those an associate’s degree in organization and a bachelor’s in small business administration, likened his Colorado Mountain Higher education journey to a familiar Eagle County experience.

“This journey was like studying how to ski moguls, it was tough and I realized it was going to harm me, but it was so substantially enjoyment and there was a great deal of happiness when I crossed the finish line,” Sherpa stated.

For what the potential holds

Whichever the long run retains for the graduates as the exit Colorado Mountain College or university — with the transform of a tassel — is finally up to them. Imparting some text of wisdom onto the graduates, commencement speaker Melina Valsecia encouraged the pupils to shift forward with resilience, curiosity, perseverance and joy.

“This is a journey, this is a huge accomplishment you really should be proud, your moms and dads should be happy,” Valsecia explained. “So as my tears go down, I hope you really feel the similar. This is the starting of a new daily life, this is the beginning of you obtaining to pick what’s up coming.”

Valsecia herself moved to Eagle County in 2007 from South America. Born and elevated in the countryside of Argentina, Valsecia gained an undergraduate degree in diet in Paraguay and a master’s diploma in public health and fitness and well being instruction.

Initially, when Valsecia came to Eagle County, she had a single intention: to get to the base of the mountain in 1 time, one thing she was in a position to achieve in mere days. And as soon as she achieved her aim, she was in a position to just take pleasure in the experience of snowboarding, she stated when addressing the graduates on Friday.

“Don’t ever overlook to have joy in whatever you do. Stick to your gut, follow your intuition, but you have to be satisfied on the way, you have to truly feel pleasure,” she mentioned. “If it does not make you content — commence checking out. Embrace it, and I hope you comprehend, it will choose you to other locations.”

Now, Valsecia serves as the executive director of the Eagle Valley Local community Foundation, serving as an advocate for the health and well-remaining of community family members and kids. Her journey, she reported, was one pushed by curiosity and a enthusiasm to understand, despite any troubles or barriers she confronted together the way.

“I feel I received to do everything I did in these 40 many years due to the fact I did not end inquiring queries,” she said. “What is it that will make you curious? That is the challenge you have from now on. But I would embrace this due to the fact curiosity is heading to take you locations, it is likely to make you fulfill men and women, it’s heading to make your occupation expand.”

Reporter Ali Longwell can be achieved at [email protected].