SAN MARCOS, CA — Palomar College presents its annual commencement exercises on Friday, May 24, at 5 p.m. on the football practice field at the college’s San Marcos campus. Joi Lin Blake, Ed.D., Superintendent/President of the Palomar Community College District, will conduct the ceremony. The event is open to the public.
“Commencement is a special day for us here at Palomar College, because we get to celebrate with our students and honor all of their hard work and achievements,” said Blake. “It’s amazing to look out over the crowd of caps and gowns and realize how much it means to get an education. As always, we’re proud of our graduates and can’t wait to send them off in style.”
Approximately 600 students are expected to participate in the ceremony, with the total number of graduates tallying nearly 2,500. A total of 4,384 degrees and certificates have been approved for the 2018-19 academic year, including:
· 1,851 Associate of Arts and Science
· 708 Associate Degrees for Transfer
· 1,825 Certificates of Achievement and Proficiency
Individuals receiving degrees and certificates in the ceremony will meet in the Dome on the college campus at 3:30 p.m. on Commencement Day.
The keynote speaker is Lawrence Hamilton Lawson, winner of the 2018 Distinguished Faculty Award for full-time faculty. Lawson is an Associate Professor of English as a Second Language (ESL) at Palomar College. He has been teaching ESL at Palomar since 2009 and currently oversees several programs to help English language learners succeed.
Palomar’s 2019 Alumnus of the Year is John Masson, a lifelong leader in the North County community who has served a variety of institutions and organizations, from the Escondido City Council to the Palomar College Foundation. With a strong dedication to giving back, serving others and making a difference in the community, Masson has held a Council seat in the City of Escondido since 2012, and also served as Deputy Mayor.
This year’s Valedictorian is Petty Officer 2nd Class Jose Miguel Chevalier, an active-duty HospitalCorpsman who took his first college classes at Palomar’s education center at Camp Pendleton in 2016. Chevalier says he is looking to life after the service, with his sights set on medical school.
For more information about Palomar College’s 2019 Commencement, please visit www2.palomar.edu/pages/studentaffairs/commencement.
