Clovis Community College celebrates first graduating class

Clovis Community College will see 381 students move their tassels to the left at its inaugural commencement Friday in Clovis Hills Community Church. The ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. at 10590 N. Willow Ave. Tickets are required due to limited seating.

The campus, which opened as Willow International Center in 2007, was recognized as the state’s 113th community college in July.

Two students were honored with the President’s Award this year by retiring Clovis Community College president Deborah Ikeda. Julieanne Nguyen and Sergio Perez earned the award for demonstrating leadership at the college, giving back to the college and the community and maintaining high academic achievement.

Nguyen, a biological sciences major, maintained a 3.93 GPA and will transfer to UC Irvine in the fall to work on her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and pharmaceutical science.

Sergio Perez earned a degree in biology with a GPA of 3.3 and will pursue a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at Fresno State. He plans to apply for the physical therapy program at Fresno State.

Four graduates, one from each of the college’s departments, earned the Distinguished Student Award for their academic accomplishments and positive impact on Clovis Community College. They were Jamie Vosseler-Eichel, Department of Humanities; Tracie Fleck, Department of Student Support Services; Arva Parker, Department of Business & Social Science; and Benjamin Vinson, Department of Math, Science & Engineering.

The President’s Athletic Leadership award is given to a male and female student who have demonstrated leadership, sportsmanship, and maintained high academic standards while serving in a leadership role for their respective team. This year’s recipients were swimmers Megan Smith and Luke Pfaunmiller.

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Clovis Community College celebrates first graduating class."