Pellissippi State Community College will celebrate 724 summer and fall 2023 graduates with a Commencement Ceremony on Friday, Dec. 8.
“It is an honor to celebrate the achievements of our graduates,” said Pellissippi State President L. Anthony Wise Jr. “They’ve done great work at Pellissippi State, and we expect them to do great work in our community.”
Graduates who attend the Commencement Ceremony will be inspired by guest speaker Clarence L. Vaughn III, director of the Office of Access and Community Connections in the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business. His community involvement includes serving as a board chair for the United Way of Greater Knoxville, board treasurer and charter member for the Business School Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Collaborative, and chair emeritus of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission.
Vaughn, who graduated from a community college before moving on to complete his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, will deliver a message on “defying the odds through perseverance and determination.”
“Community college provided me with the needed support and resources to reach my personal and professional goals,” Vaughn said. “As a proud graduate of Tallahassee Community College, I was afforded the opportunity of transferring to my dream school, Florida A&M University. Prior to enrolling into Tallahassee Community College, my path to Florida A&M University seemed unrealistic and unattainable. I was provided with access to education and academic resources that prepared me to not only graduate from Florida A&M University, but also from Syracuse University with honors and a master’s degree in organizational management with a concentration in finance.”
The 7 p.m. event will be held at the World’s Fair Exhibition Hall, 935 World’s Fair Park Drive, Knoxville. Each graduate is allotted four tickets for guests. Tickets are free, but must be reserved here. Any additional tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis five days before the ceremony.
For more information on Pellissippi State’s Commencement Ceremony, including a list of items that are prohibited in the venue, visit www.pstcc.edu/graduation/. Guests in need of accommodations should reach out in advance of the ceremony to accommodations@pstcc.edu or call 865.694.6411 for assistance.
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