This week, we profile a few of MCC’s newest graduates. In celebration of the college’s 50th anniversary, we are spotlighting members of the class of 2012 who have followed in the footsteps of family members or inspired other family members to attend MCC to fulfill their dreams of a college education.
When Jonathan Roman walked across the stage in his cap and gown on Saturday, he achieved what generations before him have not: a college degree.
One of six children, the 21-year-old Rochester honor student became the first in his family to graduate from college. Among those celebrating alongside him were his sister and brother, both currently pursuing degrees at MCC. Jonathan said he is determined to serve as a role model to his three younger brothers and educate them on the importance of attending and completing college so that they “would have a solid educational foundation and a career they enjoy.”
Since his first semester at MCC’s Damon City Campus, he has excelled academically, having been named on the dean’s list five times and inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. In April, he received the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.
Outside the classroom, Jonathan served as peer leader to first-year DCC students and as president of Men of Excellence, a student club that promotes academic success, peer support and diversity in its activities.
“At MCC, I’ve learned not only to become a better student. I’ve learned how to become a better person,” said Jonathan, who earned an A.S. degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences-General Studies. He will attend Rochester Institute of Technology to become an advocate for hearing-impaired youths. “Any obstacles I have overcome, I’ve tried to assist new students so they wouldn’t have to deal with the same struggles I’ve had. I’ve tried to make their college experiences just a bit easier.”
Hency Yuen-Eng
College and Community Relations
06/06/2012 |