The 2016 graduating class of the Skagit Valley College San Juan Center capped their time in school with a graduation ceremony that looked towards the future. Student speaker Gavin Heins drove home his theme of new horizons and ambition.

“Wa can take this graduation, this ceremony, and what we learned into the future and do great things with it,” Gavin said. “Don’t let your life pass you by while you’re trying to beat that last angry birds level. We have the ability to seek justice”

The ceremony began at Brickworks on June 15 with faculty processing to the podium and Skagit Valley college president Dr. Thomas Keegan giving the Presidential address.

He was followed by faculty speaker Heather Munro, the school yoga instructor. She shared her story of fear and trepidation as she set out to live on a sustainable farm in Florida and had to overcome her crippling fear of snakes. She let the students know that when life becomes overwhelming peace can always be found within a deep long breath.

Before the ceremony ended with President Keegan by sharing the sense of optimism that the students gave him. He felt that in a time when people are persecuted and ostracized for standing up for their beliefs, he was proud to see graduates who will help society move beyond their differences.

Graduate Jose Cruz Charupe then introduced the graduating class of 2016 including Connie Auge, Suzanne Bryner, Gavin J. Hein, Micah E. Jones, Vincent Carter, Rachel Lee Stephens and Jenny Rice, to conclude the ceremony.