LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Local college students take a small walk across the stage to get their diplomas and are ready to make big contributions to where they go next.
Rhodes State College had just over two hundred students walk in their 54th Commencement Ceremony. Three of the students getting their degrees will also be graduating from high school later this year. Perry Senior Jace Woods is one of them. He started taking College Credit Plus classes at Rhodes when he was in the 8th grade, and now, with an associated degree in hand, he will be going to Wright State to study to be a registered nurse.
“It feels real good; it was a long process. A lot of work, a lot of times I didn’t get to go out like other people did to study. But it’s real exciting,” says Jace Woods, a 2024 Rhodes and Perry High School graduate. “For my school, they knew that I could do it, and they gave me the opportunity, and they really helped me build on my future.”
Commencement speakers Traci Sanchez spoke to the graduates about their future and being a leader in the communities they call home. The owner of Lima Pallet and the Central Business District says it is important to network and find out how they can give back to where they work and live.
“As a leader, as one, you don’t get much accomplished, but when you have people follow you or become a leader in what you do, it’s really that path of getting people something to look forward to and taking care of your community,” says Traci Sanchez, Owner, Lima Pallet and Central Business District.
The graduates not only walked away from Rhodes State with a diploma but also with opportunities in the careers they have trained for.
“We have business and industry calling us and asking for our graduates,” says Dr. Cythina Spiers, President, Rhodes State College. “We have 92% of all of our alumni working in the region. So, we are really a workforce-ready college.”
Rhodes State College crossed a milestone this year, as they went over the 20,000 mark for graduates they have sent out into the world since it began in 1971.
