LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – With diplomas in hand, the 55th graduating class at Rhodes State College is ready to make its mark on the world.
A majority of the graduates have already launched their careers, landing jobs in their chosen fields.
During Saturday morning’s commencement ceremony, 275 diplomas were awarded. A majority of the graduates have already launched their careers, landing jobs in their chosen fields. More than 20,000 Rhodes State alumni currently work in the region.
That success is no accident. The college partners with local hospitals, businesses and organizations to identify in-demand jobs and equip students with the skills to secure them.
“We do what the industry needs, and that's the type of student that we put out. And I tell you, they knock our doors down to get our graduates. A lot of our students already have jobs. And I am also very proud this year that we will, this will be the first year ever that we have had a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Student to walk across that stage and again to meet the hospital industry demand,” said Dr. Cynthia Spiers, president of Rhodes State College.
Marc Augsberger was named this year’s outstanding alumni.
Julie Retcher represented the college’s first class of nursing students to earn bachelor’s degrees and encouraged others to take advantage of the program.
“I've been out of school a long time, so I had a lot of extra things to juggle. The best part of the Rhodes program was the facility that was here, and in fact, they were super supportive. They understood that you're managing a family, you're managing full time job, so they were super helpful,” said Retcher, quality assurance manager at Paulding County Hospital.
Marc Augsberger, a 1988 graduate of the former Lima Technical College, was named this year’s outstanding alumni for nearly four decades of service advancing rural health care.
