Friends, family join mix of graduates at 55th BC3 commencement
BUTLER TWP — On Wednesday morning, May 17, Peter Kupas was brewing coffee, plating quiche and taking orders in the family-run Vintage Coffeehouse on Main Street, where he and his wife, Angela, are co-owners.
Just hours later, the barista and local business owner donned a cap and gown as he received his newly conferred associate degree along with more than a hundred other students at the 55th commencement in the history of Butler County Community College.
The commencement event was the first of five successive 45-minute ceremonies held throughout Wednesday afternoon at BC3’s main campus to celebrate a diverse group of graduating students who varied in age, background and career aspirations. More than half graduated with honors.
Butler city mayor and former BC3 faculty member, Bob Dandoy, addressed the graduating class as keynote speaker.
For Kupas, the online classes in business management were directly applicable to the day-to-day operations of his café.
“One day I was doing some accounting work, and I didn’t know what it was before school. After school, it was good — I was able to figure it out,” he said.
Not all students were happy with taking online classes. With schools nationwide still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, some graduates said they missed out on the typical college experience.
“It was kind of rough because of COVID and everything, so all my classes were online and hybrid, and I’m not very good at online classes. It was kind of hard, but I got through it,” said Melissa Kolodziej, who was joined in celebration by her fiancé, mother and future mother-in-law. Kolodziej hopes to secure a job in her field after graduating with an associate degree in business management.
Other graduates plan to further pursue higher education, using their time at BC3 as a stepping stone on their path toward obtaining bachelor’s degrees.
“I was always interested in computers since I was a little kid. Now I can finally work in my field,” said Josh Myers, who studied to be a computer support specialist. Myers graduated with honors, and will be pursuing computer science at Indiana University of Pennsylvania this fall.
Aisha Dennanatay Stewart, who graduated with an associate degree in business administration, will continue her education toward a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Slippery Rock University. A single mother to four children, Stewart would commute to school from Pittsburgh, driving more than an hour to and from classes while she juggled child care.
Supporting her at the ceremony were her family, including her mother, children, niece and mother-in-law.
“It’s been very hard, but the teachers here are very understanding, encouraging and patient,” Stewart said. “It’s so awesome to be at a place that wants me and wanted me.
