QCC graduates students young and old

As they have every spring since 1962, this year’s class of graduates marched across the rolling hills of the Queensborough Community College (QCC) campus in Bayside, to take their place among alumni.
More than 1,300 students participated in the Friday, June 1 ceremony, ranging in age from 19 to 71, and coming from the five boroughs and 62 countries. They included graduates from the class of August, 2006 and January 2007 who returned for their accolades, as well as the June crop of candidates.
Charlene Prounis, class of 1976 QCC alumni from the prestigious Nursing program was the commencement speaker. Prounis, who credited her QCC experience with laying the groundwork for her success, founded two successful marketing agencies after a successful career in nursing. She remains active with QCC in an advisory capacity.
Graduates receiving honors included Brian Klimaseski and Gregg Rosenstein, recipients of the President’s Award for the highest academic average; Christopher Jaouen who won the Associate in Science Achievement Award; James G. Geasor, recipient of the Thomas R. Jennings Memorial Award as the outstanding graduate in Liberal Arts and Sciences; Renzo Samame who received the John F. Kennedy Memorial Award for College and community leadership, and Kyeisha Hodge, recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for promoting racial harmony and appreciation of cultural diversity. Rosenstein also received the Colonel John C. Lackas Award for outstanding achievement in the Associate in Applied Science degree program.
QCC president Eduardo J. Mart’ officiated as Associate in Art and Associate in Applied Science degrees were conferred, and Certificates from various QCC certificate programs were awarded.
Among the dignitaries in attendance were Borough President Helen Marshall, Congressmember Anthony Weiner, State Senator Frank Padavan and City Councilmembers John Liu and David Weprin.
Included in the musical accompaniment to the ceremonies were selections from Handel’s “Royal Fireworks Music,” which seemed appropriate as the temperature approached 90 degrees.