Students take final steps at BC3
BUTLER TWP — About 240 students celebrated their graduation from Butler County Community College Wednesday night.
The Class of 2017 had almost 600 graduates earning degrees or certificates, which was the largest total since 2000, according to the college.
It was a diverse group of students who came from a diverse set of circumstances, said President Nick Neupauer, who congratulated the class.
“Your hard work and perseverance has resulted in a significant accomplishment,” he said.
He noted that the age of the graduates ranged from 18 to 63. Twenty-six of the graduates were veterans of the military and 11 were reverse transfers: students who started at BC3, transferred to another college or university to earn a bachelor's degree and came back to BC3 to finish an associate degree.
There also were 27 students who earned two degrees and Nicholas Briggs, a Knoch High School graduate, earned four degrees: associate of applied science degrees in applied industrial technology, engineering technology with CADD, computer aided machining technology and manufacturing with advanced technology.
Student speaker Dylan Kersten of Sarver used the analogy of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly to encourage his classmates to appreciate the present, while also planning for the future.
“Until we become butterflies, let's be awesome caterpillars,” he said.
Speaking as a distinguished alumni from the class of 1991, Butler County Commissioner Kevin Boozel encouraged the students to learn from their mistakes and give themselves a “mirror test,” or self-evaluation, when making critical decisions in life.
“Making decisions and truly honoring those decisions and standing behind those decisions is something you will learn,” he said.
About the experience
Several of the graduates Wednesday night said they thought enrolling at the school was a wise choice, whether they came straight from high school or later in life.
Tom Buttyan of Butler earned an associate degree in business management — 28 years after initially enrolling at BC3.He started at the college in 1989 and was originally studying engineering, but ended up dropping out.He has worked for 24 years as a paramedic and re-enrolled in 2011 to seek new opportunities.“I wanted to better myself and be an example to my family,” he said.The effort paid off. Buttyan said he will soon start a new position as an EMS education outreach specialist.Laura Donaldson of Cranberry Township earned an associate degree in graphic design.She previously had earned a bachelor's degree from Penn State University in public relations, but wanted to get into a different field.“I've had a lot of fun,” she said about her experience at the college.Thomas Otto, a Knoch graduate, earned an associate degree in business management and said he has a job lined up starting next week with an excavation company.“The teachers were awesome,” he said.Otto also reaped the benefits of being able to take online classes from home and was able to finish school with zero debt, he said.
