Graduates overcome obstacles

The overall theme of this year's graduation will be overcoming challenges. The speakers for this year's graduation have a common message for their peers. Benandrew Briggs, the commencement speaker, will advise students to continue challenging themselves in his speech. "When I came back to campus, when I began to look at the students, I saw myself," Briggs said, "They got no idea where they're going, but they're gonna get there."

When Briggs found out he was going to be the commencement speaker he was ecstatic. "It was very exciting," he said.

Shari Lynn Johnson was "shocked and amazed" to learn that she was chosen to speak at the graduation luncheon. She feels proud to have overcome so much and wants to share that with her fellow graduates. " I started college 27 years ago, when I was 18," said Johnson. "To graduate now is a huge deal for me." Johnson has faced challenges with mental illness and abuse and will speak about overcoming those through her education. Her message to her classmates is, "Just [keep] going; don't stop. For those who are younger, do it now, don't wait."

Cheryl Dell, winner of the Distinguished Alumni Award for 2011, will also be speaking at the graduation. Dell said she was humbled to be receiving this award. " There are a lot of interesting, intelligent people that graduated from MJC," Dell said. Dell is the publisher of the Sacramento Bee; she graduated from MJC in 1979. She began her career working at the Modesto Bee and worked her way up to publisher for several newspapers before going to the Sacramento Bee.

Dell was nominated for the award by her former speech coach, Steve Collins, and her previous co-worker, Lynn Dickerson.

Along with the ceremony, the graduates are invited to take part in the commencement luncheon. The luncheon is on April 29, in the Mary Stuart Rogers building on West Campus at 12 p.m. The ceremony will occur in the MJC Stadium on East campus on April 30, starting at 2 p.m. The Commencement Reception will be held in the East Campus Student Center immediately following the ceremony. Graduates, families, and faculty are invited to attend the reception.

Dionne Evans contact at devans5@student.yosemite.edu and contact Dawn Burns at mburns6@student.yosemite.edu