Skidmore, SCCC students receive degrees at commencement events

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bruce Squiers

Members of the Skidmore College Class of 2010 stand and respond to playing of rock music as they participate in commencement exercises Saturday at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Graduates from Schenectady County Community College and Skidmore College received advice from commencement speakers that ranged from the practical to the sublime Saturday.

The 40th commencement of SCCC was held at Proctors. A room packed with students, family, faculty and public officials listened to an address from Mike Russo, director of U.S. government relations for GlobalFoundries, which is building a massive computer chip fabricating plant in Malta.

Russo said the SCCC class of 2010 ranges in age from 19 to 74, illustrating the life-long value of higher education.

“President [Obama’s] Council of Economic Advisers has come to the conclusion that jobs needing two-year degrees will outpace those needing four-year degrees in the future,” Russo said. “That doesn’t diminish the value of a four-year degree, or a master’s or Ph.D, but it sure makes it look like you made a pretty good decision to pursue a degree at Schenectady.”

Practicality was on display among the recipients of associate degrees from SCCC Saturday. Of the graduates, 323 received associate degrees in applied science, 176 received an associate in science and only 50 received an associate degree in the arts. Among those receiving a associate degree in applied science were Brook Rowley, a fire protection technology major, and Kylie Wood, who majored in fire protection technology and emergency management. Both wore firefighter helmets Saturday as part of their regalia.

Skidmore College conducted its 99th commencement at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Speakers were Sir Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director at Carnegie Hall, Gwen Ifill, managing editor and moderator for PBS’s “Washington Week” and senior correspondent for the “News Hour,” and Gregory Howard Williams, president of the University of Cincinnati and author of “Life on the Color Line.”

Gillinson told the graduates to commit themselves completely to whatever they do in life. The college bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate of humane letters.

“Every single thing you do in life you have to do as though your life depends on it,” he said.

Ifill advised the graduates to seek out mentors in the career world. She said one such mentor for her was the late Tim Russert, anchor of “Meet the Press” on NBC, who pushed her to do things she was afraid of doing.

“I wish several things for you here today, not the least of which is that you get to have a mentor like I had with Tim, who will talk you into something you ought to do that you are convinced is too scary, someone who will watch out for you once you do it and make sure you succeed,” she said. “Someone who will turn you loose when it is time to turn you loose and talk you into doing something else. Tim did all of those things for me, and even though I don’t think I ever told him how much I appreciated it, I think he would love that I’m telling you instead.”

Class of 2010 Skidmore College students were required to read Williams’ memoir, “Life on the Color Line,” prior to the start of their freshman year, and he visited the campus for discussion and questions. His remarks represented coming full-circle for the graduates.

“It’s a privilege to reunite with you today because in some small way I helped begin your journey here in the fall of 2006,” Williams said.

He reminded them of an important lesson he learned from his alcoholic father.

“Despite the many difficulties he faced, when I was growing up, my dad would often tell me ‘Greg, you have to be ready when that tap on the shoulder comes,’ ” Williams said.

A total of 624 students received bachelor’s degrees from Skidmore Saturday.