News from Southwestern Michigan College

SMC Confers Degrees on 347 students in the Class of 2022 at its 55th Commencement

Southwestern Michigan College graduated 347 students in the Class of 2022 at its 55th Commencement April 30.

   AnnaLynn Waterman of Niles, Kayla Farrow of Coloma, Erin Gould of Granger, Reagan Hartman of Union, Kaitlyn Kalling of Niles and Brittany Phillips of Bridgman graduated with 4.0 grade-point averages, or all A’s. 

   Ninety-seven students graduated with honors. Area graduates include:

Marcellus: Stephanie Bigelow, Blake Colley, Jarett Curtis, Melissa Dailey, Amanda Deming, Dakri Jordan, Myya Krenk, Nathan Lull, Andrew Pachay, Amy Steinkraus, Audrey Tone

Cassopolis: Hailey Christopher, Kaleb Collins, Shelby Compton, Rebecca Dillingham, Alison Henry, Alexis Jackson, Dylan Kuhnle, Jonathan Leach, Cacy May, Khantharee Ratsamy, Otto Reick, Joseph Reiff, Ian Rix, Chase Scheunemann-Thomas, Kailen Sopraseuth, Makenna Stezowski, Megan Tucker, Addison Ward, Aidan Ward, Sydney Weaver

Constantine: Miranda Gonzalez, Deshea Payton

Decatur: Beth Ammerman, Laura Emborsky, Lauren Grinnewald, Cecily Keur, Troy Lynn-Lee, Nathaniel Mortimore, Garrett Smith, Brandon Wheeler

Dowagiac: Heather Adams, Ronni Beebe, Lizbeth Beltran, Daniel Benedict, Kirsten Bugy, Alicea Cole, Alexandria Conner, Matthew Curtis, Lyudmila Dickson-French, Kent Emerson, Emalee Foote, Sydney Franks, Tyler Grant,Amelia Grote, Brady Haas, McKenzie Hassle, Abby Ickes, John Jurgenson, Cynthia Leason, Peytin Lee, Leticia Marquez, Olivia McLaughlin

Jose Medina, Daana Mireles-Veloz, Chalee Miston-Pye, Karter New, Jaleana Payne, Eddy Perez, William Phillips, Bianca Pickens, Kimberly Proffitt, Jessica Reeves, Tonya Roberts, Jesus Rosales, Alec Saylor, Sierra Smith, Xander Steward, Lynsie Stolpe, Thomas Swanson

Edwardsburg: Brayden Burgess, Paris Carfi, Cody Closson, Alexandria Conner, Ryan Downer, Christopher Fowler, Heath Freed, Salina Gary, Dillon Hursh, Allison Ianello, Faith Jones, Taylor Kendall, Aimee Lambert, Dylan Livingston, Jaylynn Luster, Brianna McCreery, Ella Merrill, Hannah Philpot, Hunter Rieck, Jayme Rowe, Chase Stanton, Gage Strawderman, Delani Stull

Jones: Elizabeth Britton, William Walker

Lawton: Graciela Flores, Leah Gruber, Jack O’Brien

Paw Paw: Marissa Bowater, Amber Britt, Elaina Daniel, Morgan Dwyer, Emilio Gonzalez

Three Rivers: Meagan Herlein, Rose Isbell, Alexis Maggert, Christina Morrison, Nathan Ritchie, Shelly Shermak, Atticus Weed

Union: Reagan Hartman, William Knisely

Vandalia: Varinh Bounthavy, Julian Gordon, Kaitlyn Owen, Kindall Rief, Dainette Ward

White Pigeon: Sydney Balcom, Courtney Knight, Tanner Orton, Desiree Sefcsik

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SMC Welcomes 21 New Nurses to America’s Largest Health-care Profession

Southwestern Michigan College April 30 welcomed 21 new nurses to America’s largest health-care profession April 30. There are four times as many U.S. nurses as there are physicians.

The Class of 2022 received associate degrees in nursing (ADN) in a pinning ceremony following SMC’s 55th Commencement in the theatre of the Dale A. Lyons Building on the Dowagiac campus.

The class joins the ranks of 3,155 SMC nursing graduates.

“I’m so proud of each and every one of you, and so excited to officially welcome you to the nursing profession,” School of Nursing and Health Services Dean Dr. Melissa Kennedy said. “One picture in the slide show of a hurricane didn’t look like it belonged, but there’s a reason it’s there. Do you know what happens when a tropical wave meets warm water? A hurricane. Seated before you now are 21 tropical waves. While some of these tropical waves began their swell one or two semesters before the others, when they all came together and entered the warm water of nursing school, a hurricane formed, the Hurricane Class of 2022, which has been raging for two years.

“I think I speak for all the faculty when I say this class does nothing without passion, candor, ferocity and, just like a hurricane, everyone can see their path.”

Graduates include: Amy Steinkraus and Amanda Deming of Marcellus, Julian Gordon of Vandalia, Dillon Hursh of Edwardsburg, and Courtney Latsch of Watervliet.