For Immediate Release:
May 12, 2025
Primary Media Contact:
Sally Voth
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 540-868-7134
Laurel Ridge’s Class of 2025 will celebrate commencement with two ceremonies this week. Students earning a degree or certificate in one of the college’s numerous School of Health Professions’ programs, including Nursing, Surgical Technology, Medical Laboratory Technology, Paramedic and Patient Care Technician, will have their ceremony at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 15. All other programs will mark their commencement at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 16. Both events will be at the Middletown Campus.
The Health Professions commencement ceremony will be followed by a coin ceremony for EMS students, with pinning ceremonies for those graduating from the Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technology, Patient Care Technician and Surgical Technology programs.
There are just shy of 1,100 individuals in the 2025 graduating class, which includes those students who completed their degrees or certificates in the summer or fall 2024 semesters, in addition to spring 2025. Graduates broken down by locality include:
• Clarke County 34
• Fauquier County 130
• Frederick County 313
• Page County 76
• Rappahannock County 10
• Shenandoah County 123
• Warren County 126
• Winchester 132
• Other 146
Surgical Technology graduate Deborah Zelleke-Yearwood, a 43-year-old mother of three originally from Sweden, will deliver the Health Professions commencement address. Wendy Antal, also a mother of three, will deliver the address at Friday’s commencement ceremony. She is earning her degree in general education.
The Outstanding Graduates for each campus will be awarded during commencement.
The commencement ceremonies are on rain or shine, but if there is severe weather, the time or date could be moved. Please sign up for Laurel Ridge Alert by texting laurelalert to 226787 to receive notifications about any potential changes. For more information about the ceremonies, visit laurelridge.edu/commencement.
*************************
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.
###