Hesston College’s 112th Commencement
Held in person for the first time in two years
On May 14, this year’s graduation activities were held fully in person for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Hesston College’s 112th commencement featured an address titled “It Takes All of Us,” delivered by Rev. Sue Park-Hur, denominational minister for transformative peacemaking at Mennonite Church USA. President Manickam and Vice President of Academics Dr. Carren Moham also briefly addressed the class of 2022.
The prayer of invocation was delivered by Shawn ’96, ’09 and Suzanne Nolt, Dalton, Ohio, parents of graduate Alyssa Nolt. The prayer of dedication was delivered by Paul and Julie Miranda, Turlock, Calif., parents of nursing graduate Jessie Miranda. Two students, David Beachy, San Nicolas, Philippines, and Sara Bianchi Muschio, Trento, Italy, were nominated by faculty and staff and voted by their classmates as the graduate speakers to reflect on the Hesston Experience.
President Joseph A. Manickam, Ph.D., conferred 38 bachelor of science in nursing degrees, one bachelor of science degree to a student majoring in Aviation–Professional Pilot and 74 associate degrees. The graduating class of 2022 includes members from 16 different countries, U.S. territories and sovereign nations.
The 38 nursing program graduates were honored at a Nursing Pinning ceremony in the sanctuary of Hesston Mennonite Church on the morning of May 14. Graduates received their nursing pins as well as the traditional blessing of hands from Hesston College nursing faculty.
Other commencement weekend events included several music recitals and a theatre showcase. Also included was a sendoff concert by the International Chorale to kick off a European choir schedule that included concerts in Germany, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands.
Watch a video of the full commencement exercise and other livestream events from the weekend at hesston.edu/commencement.
School of Engineering receives HLC approval
Hesston College’s Bachelor of Science in engineering, introduced as part of the college’s Vision 2025 four-year program expansion plan, was approved on Nov. 19. This approval is crucial to the program’s anticipated launch of its first junior class in August 2022.
In October, a Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Change Panel reviewed the program application, which will allow Hesston College to offer a Bachelor of Science in engineering with a mechatronics track, totaling 126 credit hours.
Success of the approval is credited to a strong, pre-existing associate degree program in pre-engineering. The demand for an engineering program alongside increasing student inquiries pushed faculty to craft robust and varied associate-level pre-engineering tracks.
In the 2023-24 academic year, Hesston College will launch nine additional courses for senior engineering students. Updated facilities will support the new program, as Friesen Center becomes the new home for engineering. The 7,500 square foot space will house three labs and faculty offices.