Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC Celebrated Students at 41st Commencement

Photos and story by James Hill

PORTLAND, Ore. – Nearly 2,500 graduates were honored at PCC’s commencement ceremony at the Memorial Coliseum on Friday, June 13. The college’s array of graduates hailed from all walks of life, ages and ethnic backgrounds, and with varied life stories made PCC’s ceremony the most diverse commencement in the state.Family and friends circled the auditorium, cheering for the graduates and they responded in kind, with waves and smiles, several even blowing celebratory bubbles in the aisles before the ceremony began. PCC President Jesus “Jess” Carreon devoted his message to education funding, repeating that education is Oregon’s “most potent weapon,” and admonished legislative leaders to see their way to a higher path that will position Oregon for years to come. Student speaker Tracy Jones shared her story of stumbling onto the Cascade Campus several years ago looking for a job-finding class, only to discover she was at the wrong PCC location. The mother of three, living in a homeless shelter, began the journey that brought her to the campus’ displaced homemaker program, then to college classes and campus student leadership responsibilities. Her story served as a reminder of the human consequence of a rough economy and lack of education. Jones, helped by the displaced homemaker program and the college PCC Foundation, was able to find low-cost housing and complete her education. The PCC Jazz Band kicked off the evening, playing jazz standards and tunes like “Route 66.” PCC’s oldest and youngest associate-degree recipients, 17-year-old Ijang Ngando and 67-year-old Don Cook will respectively enroll at Pacific University in Forest Grove and continue the search for an accounting position. Cook, who earned a 3.52 GPA, had not been in school since 1952. Cook said the hard work for an associate’s degree paid off. “It’s a matter of pride,” he added.