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2007
Graduation: SMC Has Come a Long Way
Over the past 95 years Samuel Merritt
College has graduated nearly 5,000 students.
SMC graduated its first students in
1912. That was the year when the Girl Scouts was created,
the first blues song was recorded, and Kazimierz Funk discovered
vitamins.
Fast forward to 2007:
Former United States President of the
United States president Gerald Ford was buried, Microsoft
released their latest Windows operating system, Pirates of
the Caribbean 3 became the top box office opener for Memorial
Day, and Samuel Merritt College held its 95th graduation,
with more than 330 students walking the stage on Friday, May
25, 2007.
The morning commencement began with
a welcome and greeting by SMC President Sharon Diaz, Scot
Foster, Provost and Chief Operating Officer, and John Garten-Shuman,
Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services.
The commencement address was given by
Dr. Stanley Yarnell, a specialist in physical medicine and
rehabilitation. The legally blind doctor, currently an emeritus
staff at St. Mary’s Hospital, addressed the 34 Doctors
of Physical Therapy and the 20 Doctors of Podiatry
students. He shared four life lessons: know what you don’t
know, stay patient-centered, learn from your patients, and
the importance of giving back to the community.
In the afternoon staff and faculty honored
335 graduating students from the Bachelor of Science in
Nursing, the Master of Science in Nursing, and
the Master of Occupational Therapy.
Their commencement address was given
by educational consultant Tom Brown. The former Dean of Advising
Services/Special Programs at Saint Mary’s College spoke
about the decision graduate students chose to become health
professionals and becoming role models to others and themselves.
“Graduates are now part of the
world of health care and they should choose to actualize Samuel
Merritt College’s mission by transforming the world
of health care, rather than allowing themselves to be transformed
by that world, which has increasingly placed making a
profit above meeting the needs and expectations of patients, our
communities and nation,” said Brown.
SMC extends congratulations to the graduation
classes of 2007 for reaching their educational goals through
commitment and hard work!
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Photography by Checkerbox Photography
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