For Immediate Release:
May 29, 2020
Primary Media Contact:
Sally Voth
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 540-868-7134
Laurel Ridge will celebrate its graduates at 1 p.m., Saturday, June 6, with a virtual commencement ceremony. The ceremony will feature the national anthem, remarks from President Kim Blosser, a student speaker, student awards and the conferring of degrees.
Laurel Ridge student Rebecca Hoffman will perform the national anthem, which will be followed by remarks from President Blosser and the presentation of the Outstanding Graduate Awards for the Fauquier Campus and the Middletown Campus. A faculty member from each campus will also address the Class of 2020.
Nursing graduate Shannon Weisbrodt is the student commencement speaker. She is also the mother of our 2018 commencement speaker, Morgan Ryan, who is a 2020 graduate of Mary Washington University.
Graduates’ names will scroll across the screen, and throughout the video, photos of those who submitted them will be shown. The college provided free mortarboards and tassels to all those students who RSVP’d to attend the virtual graduation ceremony.
LFC has never had a commencement ceremony like this one before, President Blosser noted.
“The saddest announcement I’ve had to make over the past few months was that we wouldn’t be able to gather together in person to celebrate the most special college event of all – commencement,” she said. “But, despite the physical restrictions, all of us at Laurel Ridge have worked hard to create a meaningful way to commemorate your hard work and accomplishments. We hope our graduates will gather together with their loved ones – in person or remotely – to watch the ceremony together. While we won’t be together in person for a traditional commencement ceremony, please know that all the faculty, staff, and your fellow students, are celebrating your accomplishments and wishing you the best.”
The Class of 2020 consists of nearly 1,300 students. Below is the number of graduates per service region:
- Clarke County, 47
- Fauquier County, 188
- Frederick County, 321
- Page County, 85
- Rappahannock County, 24
- Shenandoah County, 160
- Warren County, 146
- City of Winchester, 164
- Other, 161
The ceremony will go live at 1 p.m., Saturday, June 6 at www.laurelridge.edu/commencement. A recording of the ceremony will also be available on the site for future viewing.
Laurel Ridge is also naming two professors emeriti for all they have done to serve the college and its students:
- Frost McLaughlin, professor of English from 1997-2019
- Ernest “Ernie” Grisdale, professor of chemistry from 1988-2019
Nursing graduates will have a virtual pinning ceremony that will go live at 1 p.m., Sunday, June 7 at laurelridge.edu/pinning.
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Founded in 1970, Laurel Ridge Community College is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With three locations — Middletown, Warrenton, and Luray-Page County — the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. Laurel Ridge offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines, in addition to providing access to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs offered on site by a four-year institution. Laurel Ridge also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. Laurel Ridge serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.
Laurel Ridge Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Laurel Ridge Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Laurel Ridge Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Laurel Ridge Community College is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities. Laurel Ridge shall promote and maintain equal employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, age (except when age is a bona fide occupational qualification), status as a veteran, national origin, or other non-merit factors. Laurel Ridge also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment. Inquiries may be directed to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources, [email protected], 173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645, 540-868-7226.
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.
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