There was an air of excitement on the first day of Collin College’s two-part Class of 2020 graduation celebration. Graduates and their families were lined up outside the door of the Collin Higher Education Center (CHEC) waiting to celebrate their accomplishments with professional photography and video selfie stations.
“The graduation celebration with photography and videos was amazing,” said Kennedy Cotton, a dual credit student who graduated from both Princeton High School and Collin College this year. “The staff thanked us for attending Collin College. Everyone was so welcoming.”
A scholarship recipient of the Cherokee Community of North Texas, Cotton said she plans to attend business school at an area university and ultimately earn a law degree.
“The professors at Collin College were inspirational and the counselors, like Miss Liz Howard, really pushed me to do my best. I tell everyone if you want to go to a community college, go to Collin College.”
The first part of the Class of 2020 graduation celebration began in June with photography and video selfie stations held at the Plano Campus, Frisco Campus, and McKinney Campus, as well as a special family day at CHEC. The graduation celebration concluded with a virtual reveal on July 10.
During the initial celebration, college staff guided students through the stations, practicing social distancing. Close to 300 students received a special graduation gift from the college as well as mortar boards, tassels, and diploma holders that were used in the photos and video sessions.
Students like Lennon Rush also brought decorated signs to personalize their photos and videos.
Lennon proudly held his homemade “first in the family” sign in his photographs. A new member of The Pride, Collin College’s alumni association, he signed a fabric square at the event which will be incorporated into a 35th anniversary quilt and said, “Now, I will be always be a part of Collin College.”
“Collin has a lot of campuses and is affordable,” said Lennon who is planning to attend an area university in the fall. “I didn’t have to take out student loans. It was nice that I was able to bring my family for graduation photos. My family supported and challenged me every day. My goal is to take what they’ve done and do something better, and hopefully my future kids will do something even better.”
It was a joy for Carolyn Marcus, Lennon’s mother, to celebrate her son’s accomplishment.
“I want him to benefit from opportunities and this degree and make the most of his education,” she said. “He is amazing. He’s my favorite person, and I am so proud of him.”
Derek Rush, Lennon’s father, shared her sentiment.
“Lennon has always worked hard at school and hit those milestones,” Derek said. “He plans things out and is very meticulous. He is the first one to graduate from college in our family. We have another son not far behind him, and Lennon sets a good example.”
Lennon’s stepmother, Renee Rush, agreed.
“I am super proud of him,” she said. “I always knew that he could do it. When he says he is going to do something he does it.”
A member of the Cherokee Nation, Collin College graduate Brandon Freeman’s ultimate plan is to earn an MBA.
“I thought this was a good idea to get our photos taken,” said Freeman, who is pursuing a degree in business administration at an area university. “I liked the small classes at Collin. They helped me to learn a lot. Collin College gave me the foundation to do well at a university.”
With just a couple of classes to finish to complete her associate degree, Collin College student Taruna Khurana plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology at an area university. Khurana said she enjoyed celebrating graduation with professional photography.
“This was really wonderful,” said Khurana, who plans to become a psychologist. “It was an overwhelming day for me. I have had a wonderful experience at Collin College. I love the professors here. I have two grown-up kids, and everyone at Collin really made me feel comfortable and motivated to continue studying. I want to thank my husband because he learned to do chores while I studied. Family is always first.”
The college wrapped up the Class of 2020 graduation celebration with a virtual reveal which provided students with access to a graduation celebration webpage featuring student videos and photos and messages from commencement speaker Hon. Judge Angela Tucker, District President Dr. Neil Matkin, Board of Trustees Chair Dr. J. Robert Collins, Faculty Council President Kat Balch, and segments of college professors and employees cheering and holding signs to express their congratulations. The virtual event also included downloadable student photographs as well as special video messages from VIPs, members of the college’s Board of Trustees, and Collin College alumni.
To view the Class of 2020 Virtual Graduation Celebration, visit www.collin.edu/academics/graduationcelebration.html.