Friends, family, and loved ones packed the Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids on a bright, and breezy Thursday afternoon to witness nearly 700 Grand Rapids Community College graduates cross the stage in the 109th Commencement Ceremony.
GRCC graduates adorned in their blue gowns and yellow stoles walked into the arena full of screams and cheers, basking in their accomplishments. To begin the proceedings, Student Government President Eldin Causevic approached the podium to give opening remarks to the graduates about reflection and the help of others to reach the pinnacle of academic achievement.
“Today is a day of celebration, a day of pride, a day of joy, but it is also a day of reflection,” Causevic said. “Graduation is not just about reaching the finish line. It’s about looking back at everything it took to get here, and for many of us, getting here was not that simple. Community College students know what it means to carry a lot. Many of us balanced classes with jobs, with family responsibilities, financial pressures, uncertainty about our future, and personal struggles that no one else could see.”
Causevic continued by sharing a personal story of someone’s perseverance that paved the way for him to be a GRCC graduate. “Adisa, born in a small village in Bosnia, surrounded by mountains, a river, and a close-knit community. She grew up with her siblings and her parents, and a life that at one time may have seemed full of possibilities. She had a home, a family,and a future ahead of her. She had a chance. But then everything changed, war had come to Bosnia in the 1990s, and the life she knew was shattered. Fear replaced peace, uncertainty replaced stability. Coming to the U.S. gave her a chance at safety, a chance to begin again, but a chance is not the same thing as an easy life. Adisa came to the U.S. and struggled. She struggled because she didn’t understand English, she struggled because the only jobs she could work were difficult factory jobs, she struggled because she had married an abusive man, she struggled because she became a single mom with two boys, she struggled because one of those boys had autism and she had never even heard about that until coming to America.”
“I wonder how many people can relate to Adisa? How many people are persevering as a single mother or father? How many struggle with English? How many struggle with a lack of schooling? How many struggle financially? Unfortunately, the struggles did not end there for Adisa. Adisa discovered many years later, after the divorce, that she had a massive tumor in her head. It caused her to have seizures, she was no longer able to work, and had to depend on the government to help take care of her boys. Adisa Sefer is in this very room tonight, Adisa Sefer is my mother, Adisa Sefer is my hero.”
“So many of us are here because somebody gave us a chance, a parent, grandparents, a sibling, a mentor, a professor, a friend,” Causevic said. “Somebody believed in us, somebody sacrificed for us, somebody made it possible for us to keep going. That is why tonight is not about celebrating success, it’s about recognizing the chances that brought us here.”
Causevic’s speech was met with roaring applause and cheers to get the evening started.
Continuing on, GRCC Vice President of College Advancement and Executive Director of the GRCC Foundation Erin Van Egmond, presented Dr. Ozie Henderson Jr. with the Distinguished Alumni award and Levi Knoll with the Young Alumni award.
The Faculty Emeritus Award was presented to Thomas Neils by GRCC Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Sheila Jones. Neils is a chemistry professor and tutor at GRCC and he was recognized for his continuous investment in the education and the lives of GRCC students.
Distinguished among the class of 2026 were the five graduates of excellence.
- Nicholas Thomasma from the School of Business and Industry.
- Jason Villareal, School of Health Sciences.
- Peyton Helms, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
- Yadira Lopez Puac, School of STEM.
- LaRhonda Mallard, School of Workforce Training.
Viktoriia Debeliuk, 22-year-old, who received her degree in Associate of Arts Business Management, didn’t always believe that she’d make it to graduation. But her perseverance and belief in herself is something she wants current and future GRCC students to take away from her experience. “Today means a lot, today showed me that I can,” Debeluik said. “I didn’t think that I could actually do it, graduate from college, but I did it, it feels so unreal.”
Debeliuk left one final message she hopes resonates with the students coming after her. “Anything is possible, (with) just work hard. I’m so grateful for all the memories, all the people I met, and all of the real-life experiences that I got to experience.”
For Will Ward, 23-year-old, who received his associate’s degree in the pathway of math, science, and engineering, the ceremony was a time he used to reflect on how he’s grown while attending GRCC.
“Being here meant the world to me. I learned so much about myself,” Ward said. “It was very sentimental for me to come here, given the fact that I’m a first-generation student, and GRCC was a nice stepping stone to get my foot in the door for college.”
While hundreds of diplomas and certificates were being passed out, screams and cheers rang through the arena. Tears, smiles, hugs, passing of bouquets of flowers, and a feeling of achievement permeated the space. As the new graduates buzzed about what’s next, GRCC president Kathryn Rogalski left the class of 2026 with one final note.
“There is no single path that brings someone to this stage,” Rogalski said. “Some of you came here with a clear plan, others of you found your path along the way, and some of you moved forward without interruption. Others had to stop, start again, and keep going, sometimes more than once. And many of you carried the responsibilities and challenges that extended far beyond the classroom, and yet here you are.”
Rogalski concluded.
“This is what makes this moment so significant. Not the degree, or the certificate you’ve earned, but the perseverance, determination, commitment, and courage it took to earn it. At GRCC, we often talk about access and opportunity, but access alone is not enough. What truly matters is what you do with the opportunity, and what you do for others because of it,” Rogalski said.
“Graduates today is a celebration of your hard work and it’s also a call forward. A call to use your education to not only build a life for yourself, but to make a difference in the lives of others. At Grand Rapids Community College we believe in you, we believe in your potential and your ability to shape the future in meaningful ways. And no matter where your path leads, you will always have a place here. Because together, we got this.”
The full commencement ceremony can be viewed here.
