MSJC Graduation Marks Achievements of 1,318 Students

Mt. San Jacinto College’s 2012 commencement honored the achievements of MSJC graduates, noted the college’s successes and marked the last official commencement for Dr. Dennis Anderson, vice president of Instruction, who is retiring after a 40-year career at MSJC.

MSJC awarded 1,688 associate’s degrees and 232 certificates to a total of 1,318 graduates during the May 31, 2012 commencement. MSJC serves a 1,700-square-mile area that stretches from Beaumont and Banning to Temecula and takes in cities including Lake Elsinore, Idyllwild and Murrieta. Graduates and their guests filled nearly to capacity the 5,400-seat Ramona Bowl amphitheater. Last year, MSJC awarded 1,649 associate’s degrees and 249 to 1,322 graduates.

Superintendent/President Dr. Roger Schultz congratulated the graduates on their hard work and achievements, but reminded them to continue meeting life’s challenges. He told students that the challenges will make them stronger people who will help contribute positively to society. He made note of one of the college’s recent achievements: the reaffirmation of accreditation by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Dr. Anderson praised the students and bid a touching farewell. He said goodbye to retiring faculty and thanked them and current faculty for their hard work and commitment to help students succeed. He told the crowd about his start at MSJC, as a student in the late 1960s. Later, he returned to the college as an instructor and eventually became an administrator.

—Submitted by Karin Marriott, spokesperson, Mt. San Jacinto College