Two graduation speakers chosen

As the end of spring quarter looms on the horizon and Olympic College's annual commencement ceremony draws near, speakers for the event have been chosen to represent the student body. This commencement is a particularly important one, as it marks the first graduating class for OC's Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Because of this, two speakers were chosen instead of just one as in past years. Representing the graduating class will be Jonathan Fujimura, and representing the nursing class will be Megan Erickson. "This is the very first one, so it's a big deal," said Dianna Larsen, dean of Enrollment Services and Registrar. The speakers had to be recommended for the position by someone at OC. Fujimura said he was told he was nominated by multiple people, including Penny Morse, transfer adviser. Geri Babbo, associate dean of Nursing, nominated Erickson. "I actually got an e-mail from Geri Babbo asking if I was nominated, would I be willing to get up and speak if I was chosen," said Erickson. For Fujimura, his selection came as a surprise because he had not known he had been nominated. "It was a surprise, I didn't know what to say, I was frozen on the phone," said Fujimura. Nominators had many nice things to say about the candidates they supported. According to Larsen, Fujimura's recommendations said he had a "keen sense of humor" and a "bright future." Of Erickson, Larsen said she was recommended for being a "leader in the workplace, classroom and community." For both speakers, this graduation is a repeat performance. Erickson graduated from OC's associate degree in Nursing program in 2000. "It was good to be back," said Erickson. "It was nice to have that experience coming into the program." Fujimura graduated from Olympic High School on the same date in the same location just one year ago. He has worked his way through his associate degree quickly, sometimes taking as many as 35 credits in one quarter. "He is graduating in four quarters," said Larsen. "It's highly unusual." Both students said they were slightly nervous about their speeches. Erickson said she will likely get more and more nervous as the ceremony approaches. "I'm not much of a speaker," said Fujimura. "The most important thing and the best way to go about it is to be true to myself." Fujimura said he did not feel he was the best person for the job. "I don't have to work. I don't have to raise children. I don't have to support a family. I have a whole bunch of privilege," said Fujimura. Because of this, Fujimura said he plans to "talk about everybody's journey." Erickson said she plans to speak about how she, and the rest of the graduates, can give back to their communities. "Pretty much a whole community got us here," said Erickson. "Pretty much everyone graduating can give back." According to Larsen, the process from recommendation to selection had several steps. First, a selection committee reviewed the recommendations. From there, the students' transcripts were reviewed, they were interviewed and the selections were made. According to Larsen, both speakers are president's scholars, which means they have a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.9. There were several things about the candidates that stood out to Larsen. For Fujimura, it was his emphasis on how important it is to have an international perspective. "They've spent practically his whole life going back and forth to Japan," said Larsen. According to Larsen, Erickson is well regarded by her peers and has spent more than 180 hours mentoring OC students. "She always volunteered to mentor OC students," said Larsen. "She was elected by her peers to the RSN to BSN student faculty governance committee." The 62nd OC graduation ceremony will be held June 14 at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion at 2 p.m.

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