San Juan College Graduation Speaker

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 12:00 AM

Jay Paul McWilliams, founder and president of LOGOS Resources LLC, will give the keynote address. San Juan College president Dr. Toni Hopper Pendergrass will preside over the ceremonies.

San Juan College will hold graduation ceremonies for its students, as well as those who have earned degrees from New Mexico Highlands University – Farmington Center and the University of New Mexico – San Juan Center, beginning at 9 a.m., Saturday, May 14, in the Learning Commons Plaza. A live web stream of the event also will be available at www.sanjuancollege.edu/SJCLiveStream.

Jay Paul McWilliams, founder and president of LOGOS Resources LLC, will give the keynote address. San Juan College president Dr. Toni Hopper Pendergrass will preside over the ceremonies.

This year San Juan College will award over 1,900 certificates and degrees to more than 1,600 graduates. The ceremony will also recognize 35 graduates of the University of New Mexico – San Juan Center, and nearly 80 graduates from New Mexico Highlands – Farmington Center.

College Board chairman Ken Hare will award diplomas and certificates to students. Faculty members serving as Grand Marshalls are Kari Deswood and Dr. Janet Peterson.

Gayle Dean, executive director of the San Juan College Foundation, will award the Foundation’s Allison Award for Excellence to an outstanding faculty member. Vice President for Learning Dr. Barbara Ake will recognize this year’s honor students.

Music will be by the San Juan College Concert Choir under the direction of Linda Edwards.

The graduate nominated by faculty and selected by the Graduation Committee to represent their class and speak at this year’s ceremonies is Jessica Gomez. Gomez will receive her Associate of Arts in Elementary Education.

Following graduation ceremonies, a reception will be held on the lawn outside the Henderson Fine Arts Center.

More from Local News

New Farmington Temple Prepares for Public Open House

The public is invited to tour the Farmington Temple from Thursday, July 17, through Saturday, August 2, 2025, excluding Sundays.
SJRMC & San Juan College agree to expand Nursing Program

Full-time nursing faculty members will receive a $10,000 annual stipend on top of their base salary to enhance the program’s capacity. In addition, students will have an opportunity to enter into an agreement with SJRMC to receive a substantial $4,800 living stipend per semester,
Downtown Farmington gets National Main Street Accreditation

Historic Downtown Farmington’s performance was evaluated through assessments conducted by the organization’s personnel and board of directors, and New Mexico MainStreet, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify local programs that meet rigorous national community evaluation standards.
Man Arrested for Fruitland Murder

Following verbal arguments at the house of Adrian Begay (age 45), De Andre Julian (age 23) left with his girlfriend, Adrian Begay’s daughter, Adriana Begay (age 21) to a nearby residence. Adrian Begay followed them to the exterior of the residence when De Andre Julian produced a handgun and shot Adrian Begay multiple times in the chest at close range.
Arrest Made in Farmington Killing

After a lengthy investigation, Ms. Greenfield’s death was determined to be a homicide and detectives identified 27-year-old Serrono Rippingale as the suspect. On June 26th, 2025, an arrest warrant for Murder (2nd degree felony) and Tampering with Evidence (3rd degree felony) was obtained and served on Serrono Rippingale.
Farmington Hires New Museum Director

“Nathan’s expertise in the museum industry, combined with his global perspective and passion for community engagement, make him a tremendous asset to Farmington,” said Christa Chapman, Director of Cultural Affairs. “We’re excited to see how his leadership will shape the future of the Farmington Museum System.”