While 689 Pellissippi State Community College students will graduate this May, the College already has more than 2,500 guests registered to attend the school’s Commencement ceremonies this week.
Pellissippi State will hold two Commencement ceremonies, both in the courtyard of its Hardin Valley Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville: 7 p.m. Friday, May 6, and 10 a.m. Saturday, May 7.
Graduates could choose the ceremony that worked best for their schedules.
“Several students have shared they didn’t have a high school graduation (due to the Covid-19 pandemic), so the families have really rallied to attend these events,” said Terri Strader, records manager for the college.
Pellissippi State is expecting 257 graduates to walk across the stage Friday night and another 155 on Saturday morning, Strader said. However, the College already has more than 2,500 guests registered to attend, she added.
“That’s amazing,” Strader said. “The stories our students share and the obstacles some have overcome are so uplifting.”
Pellissippi State is highlighting some of those stories this week on its Facebook page, Instagram account and News webpage. One graduate spotlight was highlighted on social media each day this week.
Tserendejid Batsaikhan, whose story was shared Monday, is graduating with her nursing degree eight years after moving to the United States from her native Mongolia. She spoke no English when she arrived and started her Pellissippi State journey with English for Speakers of Other Languages classes. Her mother is coming from Mongolia for her daughter’s graduation, and it will be the first time the two have seen each other in four years.
For more information about Pellissippi State’s graduation, including how to register to attend and which campus entrance to use, visit www.pstcc.edu/graduation. Commencement ceremonies will be held in the Hardin Valley Campus Courtyard rain or shine, but graduates should check the College’s website and social media accounts as well as their Pellissippi State email for any change in time or date due to severe inclement weather.
Guests in need of accommodations should reach out here or call 865-694-6411 for assistance.
Lesli Bales-Sherrod does marketing and writing for Pellissippi State Community College.