People from across the United States and the globe traveled to Columbia for Saturday’s fall commencement ceremonies at historic Columbia College. They braved heavy rainfall and cold temperatures. Columbia College assistant vice president and dean of students Dave Roberts is proud:
“The great thing about the December commencement for us is we have students come in from across the country, who are in different parts of the world. We have families fly in from all points of the nation to come in for this,” Roberts says.
208 graduates walked across the stage during Saturday’s ceremonies at the Southwell complex. They represent numerous states and six nations: the United States, China, Mongolia, the United Kingdom, the Philippines and Zimbabwe.
Meantime, the 30 nurses who earned their pins and white coats during Friday night’s fall nurses’ pinning ceremony at Columbia College have jobs lined up. Many will stay in mid-Missouri to become nurses, while others will work in their hometowns in Missouri or other states. Dean Roberts tells 939 the Eagle that it’s a big night for families:
“We have that as a different ceremony, because there’s different meaning to that for those nurses to go from student to practitioner. And that pin is really that point that signifies that they’ve made it, they’ve passed and they’re on to being a practicing nurse which is huge,” says Roberts.
Columbia College was established in 1851.
