Over 200 students at John A. Logan graduation ceremonies

CARTERVILLE, Ill. (KFVS) - Over 200 students participated in graduation ceremonies at John A. Logan College on May 11.

Commencements were held on the JALC campus for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. To accommodate the large crowd, two ceremonies were held. Transfer program students graduated at 5 p.m., and Applied Science students graduated at 7:30 p.m.

Student speakers were Josh Sparks and Jeremiah Brown. Both students spoke of obstacles in their lives and how they overcame them. Sparks spoke of his challenges relating to homelessness.

“John A. Logan College let me be me,” said Sparks. “In sixteen months’ time, I went from homeless, to graduating, to now working at the College. I could not have done it without the outpouring of support of all the faculty and staff.”

Brown talked about his journey from the streets of Chicago to gradating with honors in automotive technology. Brown will continue his studies at SIU in the fall.

JALC President Dr. Kirk Overstreet congratulated the graduates and reminded them that their journey is only beginning.

“We are here to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our graduates. When your journey at Logan began, you came with open minds and bright hope for the future. During this journey, you have worked hard and studied; you’ve been tested and pushed to reach your greatest heights. Now, your time here has ended, but your journey is far from its end,” said Overstreet. “You will continue to learn and to grow. You will continue developing your critical thinking and attain new skills for the rest of your life.”

Overstreet closed the graduation ceremonies by thanking the graduates for allowing John A. Logan College to be part of their journey.

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