[BEAVER, W. Va.] Over 260 students will graduate from New River Community and Technical College this year. Graduating students will receive an associate degree or certificate during the college’s fifteenth commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12 at 10 a.m. at the Summersville Arena and Conference Center, 3 Armory Way, Summersville.
New River CTC President Dr. L. Marshall Washington will welcome the graduates, their families and guests, and Board of Governors Chair Dr. Tom Lemke, faculty member Dr. Shirley Davis and graduating student Betty Lou Foster will address the attendees.
Delegate Mick Bates (D-Raleigh) will provide this year’s commencement address. He is the CEO of BODYWORKS, a network of health, fitness and rehabilitation facilities located in Beckley and Pineville serving over 4,000 clients and members, and the President of Praxis Corporation. Bates has represented Beckley (District 30) in the WV House of Delegates since 2014. He was selected to be Chairman of the WV House of Democratic Legislative Committee in 2017. Other committee assignments include: Minority Vice Chair, Finance and Banking/Insurance; Health; Select Committee on Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse; Small Business and Economic Development; Special Investigations; and Tax Reform. Most recently he was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA) Task Force.
“Seeing our graduates walk across the stage to receive their diplomas is a privilege and an honor,” Washington said. “For some the next step will be to enter the workforce while others will continue their education. Regardless of the path, I know that New River CTC has prepared them for the next stage of their life.”
Academic honors will be presented to 78 students graduating with at least a 3.4 Grade Point Average (GPA). In addition, 24 students graduating this year are members of the Phi Theta Kappa academic honor society for associate degree students with at least a 3.5 GPA.
New River Community and Technical College serves nine counties in southeastern West Virginia from the Greenbrier Valley Campus (Lewisburg), Mercer County Campus (Princeton), Nicholas County Campus (Summersville) and Raleigh County Campus (Beaver/Beckley).
