More than 800 students are already confirmed to graduate from Lake Superior College this spring semester. Today, May 18, was set to be the annual LSC Commencement ceremony held at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) but all Minnesota State schools, including LSC, were forced to cancel in-person ceremonies due to COVID-19. Some academic programs will hold their own virtual ceremony. For example, the LSC nursing program will hold their annual Nursing Pinning Ceremony virtually tonight, starting at 7 pm, to honor those students who have completed the nationally-recognized nursing program. The ceremony will be streamed live on LSC’s official Facebook account @lakesuperiorcollege.
In addition to the over 800 students who already qualify for graduation, about 100 additional students may also be eligible to complete their programs in the coming weeks thanks to the Governor’s Executive Order 20-52. The Order allows students near completion in programs that require hands-on training/testing (that have not been allowed to meet these past couple of months due to COVID-19) to meet safely in modified and limited settings in order to complete their hours/other requirements. These programs include manufacturing, aviation maintenance and some healthcare programs such as nursing assistant.
All students who otherwise would have been able to participate in this year’s commencement ceremony are welcome to attend the ceremony next year, Spring of 2021. In addition, the City of Duluth will light the Aerial Lift Bridge IceHawk Teal tonight, May 18, in honor of Lake Superior College students who are graduating this year.
“Congratulations to our students at Lake Superior College who persevered though these challenging times with determination in order to graduate. We are thrilled to be awarding more than 800 degrees, diplomas, and certificates to the LSC Class of 2020, who will now go on to enter the workforce or advance to their next step in their education,” said Lake Superior College President Patricia Rogers. “We are so proud of and grateful for our students, faculty and staff in pulling together to complete this spring semester. It’s during these extraordinary times that we appreciate and are reminded how dedicated our students are to working towards a better future for themselves, their families and our community."
For more information and to see video messages congratulating the Class of 2020, as well as a current list of qualified LSC graduates, please visit: www.lsc.edu/commencement.
