Mark Dirr, director of Research and Development at Xten Industries, LLC, Kenosha, told graduates they are a component to revitalizing America’s economy, at the keynote address of Gateway Technical College’s Associate Degree and Technical Diploma Commencement ceremony Dec. 20.
“Graduates, you are the ones to keep the infrastructure of our economy advancing,” Dirr said at the ceremony, held at the Indian Trail High School Auditorium, 6800 60th St., Kenosha.
The ceremony recognized 527 candidates for graduation. An estimated 141 participated in the ceremony.
Dirr said that despite his personal challenges, he continued to keep learning and take on new personal challenges, which ultimately contributed greatly to his success – and encouraged graduates to do the same.
“You are graduating at an ideal time, as American business rethinks its offshoring of manufacturing,” he said. “This is great time to enter the workforce, as industry seeks way to be innovative and grow domestically.”
This is the first time Gateway held a fall semester graduation. The college decided to hold a fall ceremony because of the increasing number of graduates due to high student enrollment, and to better accommodate the needs of fall semester and summer semester graduates.
Bryan Albrecht, Gateway president, delivered the welcome address. Albrecht and members of the Gateway Technical College Board of Trustees presented degrees; Caesar Garcia, graduate in Gateway’s Computer Support Specialist program, provided the student response; and faculty member Brenda Pirnstill led the ceremony opening and closing.
The commencement ceremony can be viewed on Gateway’s Web site, www.gtc.edu/graduation, beginning in early January.