On a day that emphasized the power of education to change life trajectories, more than 1,200 students graduated from Delaware County Community College with associate degrees and/or certificates.
On Thursday, May 16, the College held two separate Commencement ceremonies. The morning ceremony was for graduates of the Allied Health & Nursing, STEM, and Workforce & Economic Development divisions, and the afternoon ceremony was for graduates of the Business, Computing & Social Science, as well as the Communications, Arts & Humanities divisions. Both ceremonies were held at West Chester University’s Hollinger Field House.
“While many diverse backgrounds are represented here today, we are united here for one purpose: education,” said Edison Hong of Upper Darby, the Student Commencement Speaker, who is the son of Chinese immigrants. “We share the same goal of pursuing better opportunities through education at a more affordable cost. From my father’s escape during the Vietnam War to my mother’s pursuit of the American dream, their story intertwines with mine, wanting a better life. Their sacrifices resonate within me, and I use that every day to guide me as a first-generation college student.”
A graduate of Upper Darby High School, Hong earned college credits as a high school student through DCCC’s High School Dual Enrollment Program. He earned his associate degree from DCCC in the fall of 2023 with majors in Computer Science and Business Administration and now attends Georgia Institute of Technology, where he is majoring in Computer Science. Hong is one of 15 students nationwide to receive the 2024 Hites Transfer Scholarship from Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges. He served as President and Founder of DCCC’s Computer Science Club, President of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, President of the Business Society, and Vice President of the Science Club and the Engineering Club.
“Your ability to overcome life while maintaining high academic standards is remarkable,” said Alumnus Commencement speaker Frederick Shegog ’20 of Drexel Hill. Shegog — whose stepdaughter, Megan Riley, is a member of the Class of 2024 — battled homelessness and substance abuse prior to becoming an Honors Graduate of DCCC and a Summa Cum Laude Graduate of West Chester University, where he recently earned a master’s degree in Public Administration. “Community College is and always has been the REAL standard of success.”
Presiding over Thursday’s ceremonies was Marta Yera Cronin, Ed.D., the College’s President. A first-generation college student born of immigrant parents, she emphasized the generational impact that education can have on the children, grandchildren, and other relatives of graduates.
“[Your family members] see the effort,” she said. “They see the tenacity it takes to study — often while working a part-time or full-time job to sustain a family — and you become their role model.”
DCCC Board of Trustees Chair Kevin Scott, Esq., stated, “We commend your perseverance, long hours and nights of study, and the sacrifices you have made to pursue your goal of attaining a better life for you and your family.”
2024 Graduates: A Snapshot
Chloe Johnson of Paoli had a successful culinary career spanning a decade, during which she did volunteer work in Thailand, Cambodia, Haiti, and the U.S. After a return to college, she received an associate degree in Business Administration.
“I envision creating a nonprofit center that can be a refuge for at-risk youth, integrating traditional therapy, arts, and trades to nurture holistic healing, creativity, and empowerment,” stated Johnson.
Named to the 2023-2024 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team, which Phi Theta Kappa and the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges sponsor, Johnson received an All-PA Scholarship to transfer to any of the ten PA State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) universities tuition-free for two years, and she may attend West Chester University. However, her first choice is the University of Pennsylvania, for which she applied for scholarships that will be announced soon. She is a member of the College’s Phi Theta Kappa honor society’s Beta Psi Pi chapter.
Jay Rhoades of Ridley Park received an associate degree in Science, Mathematics/Natural Science. He served as a work-study Laboratory Assistant with the Earth and Space Science Department, assisting in creating microscope adapters that provide a higher level of accessibility to students in Biology courses. He will attend West Chester University next fall to major in Cellular and Molecular Biology. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he plans to attend graduate school related to medicine and pathology and hopes to work in a pathology lab. His goal is to work in the field of medicine. Rhoades served as President of the College’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Alpha Tau Epsilon chapter. He was named to the 2023-2024 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team, earning two years of free tuition to WCU.
Learn more at Delaware County Community College (DCCC). Delaware County Community College focuses on student success by delivering quality, affordable, and responsive educational opportunities in a technologically rich and supportive learning environment.
