NWACC graduation events start tonight
Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/brog/News/60149/
ROGERS — When Joyce Abrams first came to Northwest Arkansas Community College, her intention was to get a nursing degree.
She still plans to get a nursing degree, but not until after she’s earned a bachelor’s degree in homeland security and emergency management. She’s well on her way to the bachelor’s degree, as she’s graduating tonight with an Associate of Applied Science degree in the same field from NWACC. She is one of 334 graduates receiving either an associate degree or a certificate.
Abrams will be the first to graduate from the college with that degree. She’s will also be honored as the NWACC Distinguished Graduate during tonight’s ceremony, which starts at 7 at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. She will then transfer to Arkansas Technical University in Russellville to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“ There’s really no focus in northwest Arkansas for this yet, ” she said.
Abrams, whose father is the director of emergency management in her hometown of Cushing, Okla., has already started her own consulting business, in which she writes disaster-preparedness plans for the elderly and those with disabilities or other special needs.
The college will also honor several other people during the ceremony, including Sue Ann Pekel as Outstanding Alumni. Pekel, the children’s librarian at the Bentonville Public Library, is responsible for developing the children’s collections as well as developing, promoting and presenting library programs for children of all ages and their families. Pekel earned an Associate of Arts degree at NWACC, a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational management from John Brown University in Siloam Springs and a master’s degree in library science from Texas Women’s University.
An honorary degree will be awarded posthumously to NWACC founding chairman Donald E. White. NWACC will hold a short ceremony at 5 p. m. today with the White family, unveiling a portrait of White in the auditorium that bears his name in Burns Hall.
Tonight’s graduation speaker will be Russellville native Paul Vitale, who graduated in 1995 from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway with a degree in mass communications and journalism.
Graduation festivities will continue at 2 p. m. Saturday at the Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers. NWACC has 63 candidates for Associate of Applied Science degrees in nursing.