Takoda graduates shared their stories of resiliency during the Fall graduation ceremony
Twice a year, graduates of Takoda Institute and Takoda GED are invited to attend a graduation ceremony to celebrate their incredible achievement. This is not your average graduation ceremony. In lieu of rambling speeches, musical arrangements, and long processionals, the focus is instead put on each individual graduate and their immense accomplishment.
On Friday, October 25, graduates, their families, faculty and staff gathered to see students at Takoda accept their certificate. The director, registrar, and instructors had the opportunity to address the graduates, personally recognizing each student and providing advice and encouragement for their next chapter. Each student was presented with their certificate and had a moment to be recognized in front of the audience.
What makes graduation at Takoda truly unique is the opportunity for the students to give a speech in front of the audience. For many, this can be a daunting task, but students are encouraged to take this opportunity to share their story and thank those who supported them. It began in a trickle, with one brave soul offering to be the first to speak. Eventually, more and more students gained the courage to give a speech until nearly everybody had addressed the crowd. It’s during this portion of the ceremony where we get to learn about each graduates’ story.
Among the graduates, there was a single mother of 7 children, who graduated from the Patient Services Specialist program all while working and taking care of her family.
There were several immigrant students who overcame struggles to achieve a better life.
There were also several graduates who could not attend the ceremony because they had already accepted jobs in their field of study. While their absence was noticed, it’s rewarding to know their hard work has already paid off.
As a testament to the instructors and courses they teach, two students from the Computer Support Specialist program took it upon themselves to donate IT equipment to help future students learn.
This fall’s graduation was another great reminder of the importance of the education, career training, and job placement services provided at Takoda.
Ivy Estenson, Development Coordinator