Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus will hold its annual spring commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15 at 6 p.m. in the Indiana University Auditorium, where it will confer 1,254 Associate degrees and certifications to graduates. Conferrals of credentials are up seven percent over last year.

“Commencement is the culminating event for our graduates and their families, and I look forward to celebrating their accomplishments at the ceremony on Friday,” said Chancellor Jennie Vaughan. “Just last week, students were on campus in their caps and gowns taking photographs outside of the building, and I’m just so proud of them. It was a reminder of why we do what we do at Ivy Tech.”

The commencement address will be given by graduate, Jeffery “L.J.” Gearhart II, Associate of Science in Business Administration. Gearhart was named Student of the Year by the American Council on Education (ACE), and accepted his award and $500 scholarship in a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. in March. Like many Ivy Tech Community College students, Gearhart worked full time while completing his degree and certifications.

An honorary degree will be presented to Lee J. Marchant, Ivy Tech Community College State Trustee and State Foundation Director, for his steadfast support of Ivy Tech students over the past 25 years. Marchant, along with his wife Annie, established two endowed nursing scholarships, both awarding nearly 55 financial awards to nursing students, to-date. He was named Ivy Tech-Bloomington’s Benefactor of the Year in 2013. The campus has named its School of Nursing building after him to honor his support of the regional campus. Most recently, the Marchants made a significant contribution to Ivy Tech-Bloomington’s Here We Grow Again! $4 million capital campaign to help fund its current expansion.

Some of the graduates who will be celebrated at commencement are a husband and wife, honors students, international students, military veterans, transfer students, employees, and those who have found employment because of their education and training at Ivy Tech.

The number of students graduating with honors is 134, with 10 graduating Summa Cum Laude for maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

The campus will confer degrees to 23 military veterans this year, and is graduating 15 international students representing the countries of China, France, Indonesia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Spain, and United Kingdom.

This May, Ivy Tech-Bloomington is conferring credentials to two students from the newly established School of Computing and Informatics, and the first student to receive credentialing in Entrepreneurship from the School of Business.

Approximately 71 Associate of Science in Nursing degrees and 27 Practical Nursing degrees will be awarded.

There are 63 graduates who are members of Phi Theta Kappa international honor society. Phi Theta Kappa honor society recognizes and encourages scholarship through leadership and academic excellence among two-year college students.

Each year, Ivy Tech-Bloomington recognizes students for outstanding academic achievements. Academic program chairs have chosen 30 students to receive this award. Outstanding Student award recipients include:

Web Application Development – Victoria Laudeman

Computer Information Systems – Grace Ng

Computer Information Technology – Josh Frank

Information Security – William Fletcher

Electrical Engineering Technology – Daniel Ortman

Engineering Technology – Chad Heacox

Radiation Therapy – Bethany Ickes

Biotechnology – Ashley Reed

Fine Arts – Elizabeth Austin

Design Technology – David Shultz

Respiratory Care – Cari Edmonson

Heating and Ventilation Air Conditioning – Jason Rinehart

Homeland Security Public Safety – Mallory Kiel

Paramedic Science – Matthew Luecke

Practical Nursing – Jennifer Grise

Nursing (2) – Heather Varga, Suzanne Wright

Kinesiology – Clay Coppinger

Liberal Arts – Jennifer Musgrave

General Studies – Gregory Lovig

Human Services – Melissa Graham

Health Care Support – Carmen May

Education – Victoria Williams

Early Childhood Education – Heather Honeycutt

Hospitality Administration – Karen Pennington

Criminal Justice – Eric Stevens

Business Administration – Claudia Vieira

Accounting – Barbara Johnson

Office Administration – Anneke Wilson

Paralegal – Michael Schafer

About Ivy Tech Community College

Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.