News Release
IWV Campus
Cerro Coso Honors Graduates During Commencement Exercise
May 18, 2009
Cerro Coso Community College Commencement Exercises were held on the Gym
of the Raymond A. McCue Athletic Complex on Friday, May 15.
Friends, relatives, staff and faculty gather to honor a class of 230
eligible graduates ( 79 males and 141 females) from the Indian Wells Valley
Campus in Ridgecrest (58%), South Kern Center at Edwards Air Force Base
(4%), Kern River Valley Center in Lake Isabella (7%), Eastern Sierra College
Center located in Bishop and Mammoth Lakes (13%), and Online students (18%).
Out of the 230 students, 145 graduated with an Associate of Arts degree,
with 55 receiving an Associate of Science degree.
Twenty-one
graduates received Certificate's of Achievement, ten students are 4.0
graduates, 24 graduates graduated with honors, and 18 were Phi Theta Kappa
honor graduates. Mr. Dean Bernsten served as the Faculty Marshal for
Commencement.
Dr. Mary Retterer, president of Cerro Coso stated to the graduates
"Today is only the beginning for you, that's why we call today
"commencement". Some of you are planning on attending a university and
pursuing a baccalaureate degree. Perhaps even a master's or doctorate.
You have been given a terrific start and a solid base for that university
work"!!!
The Academic Senate selected three graduates to address the assemblage,
Joshua Simpkins (A.A. in Social Science) who attended the Kern River Valley
Campus, and Carissa Cash (A.A. in General Education) and Rachel
Schlick (A.A. in Pre Engineering) both from the Indian Wells Valley Campus.
Eric Bruen was selected as the Alumni Association's Distinguished
Commencement Speaker. Bruen holds the position of CEO at Desert
Valleys Federal Credit Union, a position he has held since 2004. He
holds an A.S. degree in Business Management from Cerro Coso Community
College. He is a graduate of Western CUNA Management School in 2004.
Eric is a major supporter of the California Credit Union League and was
recently re-elected to a second term of the Board of Directors in
which he is the youngest seated member of the board. Bruen is a highly
active member of the Chamber of Commerce. He is also the
president-elect of the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce and will begin his
term in June. He also serves as the Chairman of the Desert Area
Resources and Training Board of Directors.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Joann Clark, Director of Public Information (760)
384-6230