DCC Graduates 965 – Kicks Off 50th Anniversary Celebration

SUNY’s One Millionth Community College Graduate Also Recognized

Release Date May 17, 2007

Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – Dutchess Community College graduated 965 students today at its 48th commencement exercises and kicked off the celebration of its 50th anniversary. In addition, the College recognized a milestone in the history of the State University of New York – the awarding of SUNY’s one millionth community college degree.  DCC selected graduate and student trustee, Janet Brendli, to be its symbolic one millionth degree recipient.

Dr. D. David Conklin, president of DCC, said the College is looking forward to its yearlong celebration as he addressed the graduates, who join the over 30,000 alumni who have received degrees from DCC since it welcomed its first class in 1958. Dr. Conklin said the new alumni share a common bond with those who have come before them. “You know the old adage, ‘The more things change, the more they remain the same.’  Well, that saying rings true for us today. The first class entered DCC in 1958. Those students were no different than our graduates sitting here today. A poster announcing admission to DCC 50 years ago encouraged students to enroll in associate degree programs in the arts and applied sciences. Many of you today will be receiving those same degrees. The students in that first class also started their quest for higher education here at DCC, and you have carried on that rich tradition of obtaining an education that will leave a lasting imprint on your lives,” stated Dr. Conklin.     

The keynote speaker was the Honorable Christine Sproat, a New York State Supreme Court Justice and DCC alumnus.  Judge Sproat graduated in 1976 and is one of eight alumni who has been inducted into the College’s Alumni Hall of Fame.

Judge Sproat told the graduates she was there to “educate and inspire you about life. I think Life happens between the ‘L’ and the ‘E’ – in the IF.  IF is a part of your story, and I propose it is a reason that you are sitting here today as a college graduate,” said Judge Sproat. As a DCC student, she said she never imagined that one day she would become a lawyer, serve on the DCC Board of Trustees, or be elected as a Supreme Court Judge.

“I urge all of you to strive to be the best that you can be – ask ‘What IF I apply for a new job?’ ‘What IF I move to a new town, or what IF I take that giant leap?’  Discover your destiny, your dream, your vocation in life, the right career, the right mate, the right choices,” added Judge Sproat. 

Brendli, the recipient of the SUNY one millionth community college degree, is a resident of Poughkeepsie, NY, and received two associatedegrees in early childhood education at the commencement.  For the past year, Brendli has served as the student trustee on the Dutchess Community College Board of Trustees. She was also a member of the Student Government Association, serving as the organization’s Commissioner of Academics. In addition, Brendli was a member of the Early Childhood Club and the women’s cross-country and track and field teams.

DCC’s Class of 2007 includes students graduating from 50 different college programs. The largest number, 201, come from humanities and social sciences.  The business administration transfer program graduated 124 students; the nursing program graduated 73 students; and the early childhood, childhood and adolescent education joint acceptance programs with the State University of New York at New Paltz graduated a total of 83 students.

Approximately 30% of the graduates received associate in applied science degrees; 41% received associate in science degree and 23% received associate in arts degrees.  Another 6% received certificates. Forty-two percent of the Class of 2007 graduated with honors having achieved a 3.2 CPA or higher in their studies at Dutchess.  There are 12 students who graduated with a perfect 4.0 average earning “A” grades in all of the courses taken at DCC.

The Class of 2007 includes graduates whose ages range from 18 years to 62 years with a median age of 22 years.  The majority, 82%, reside in Dutchess County, with approximately 17% coming from other counties and 1% coming from foreign countries.  Approximately 60% of the graduates are female and approximately 40% are male.

The College also held its annual honors convocation earlier in the day, and presented more than 100 awards and scholarships to continuing and graduating students.

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