Nursing ceremony set for May 15
SIERRA VISTA — Cochise College will hold its 49th commencement ceremony at 7 p.m. May 16 on its Sierra Vista Campus.
Students completing their first and second years of the nursing program will participate in a pinning ceremony at the campus the evening prior.
Both ceremonies will be tobacco-free, including e-cigarettes. Offices at all campuses and centers will close at 3 p.m. on commencement day.
All traffic will enter the Sierra Vista Campus, located on Colombo Ave., through the south entrance, follow the loop around campus, and exit through the north entrance.
This year, Cochise College will award more than 1,400 diplomas for the summer and fall 2013 and spring 2014 semesters, and about 300 students are expected to participate in commencement ceremonies. Live online streaming, accessed at www.cochise.edu, will allow friends and relatives to see everything from the processional to the last graduate crossing the stage.
GradImages will photograph all graduates at the commencement ceremony. Visit www.gradimages.com and click Pre-Event Email Registration to enter your email and up to six emails of loved ones who would like to view and order photos. Students who register their information before commencement on May 16 can get $5 off on orders of $25 or more. After graduation, order online at www.gradimages.com or call (800) 261-2576. Click here for more information.
Martinez
The student speaker at commencement will be Ricardo Martinez, who will earn Associate of Arts degrees with honors in Biology and Exercise Science, Health and Recreation. He plans to transfer to the University of Arizona to eventually become a medical doctor.
Martinez, a former soldier in the U.S. Army, has been active in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, having served as vice president of fundraising and president of the Alpha Mu Zeta chapter, and in the college’s Science Club as vice president.
He earned All-Arizona Second Team placement this year and is part of the science department’s undergraduate research team that has earned recognition for studies of bean beetles and wildlife navigation.
Kogel
Al Kogel, a longtime art instructor, will also be honored at the ceremony as the latest confirmed faculty emeritus, the highest honor awarded by the college to retired full-time faculty, counselors and librarians. Kogel began teaching at Cochise College on the Sierra Vista Campus in 1977 and retired after 35 years of service, including several as the chair of the Art Department.
He continues to teach as a member of the associate faculty. Kogel, an accomplished instructor and artist, collaborates with community organizations for student projects, invites guest artists and performers to his classroom, and continues to create and show his own work at venues across the U.S.
The pinning ceremony recognizing this year’s nursing class will begin at 7 p.m. May 15 on the Sierra Vista Campus. About 110 students will participate, with first-year students recognized for earning certification and second-year students honored for earning their Associate of Applied Science degree, making them eligible to take the exam to become a registered nurse.