MOUNT VERNON — School officials delayed the 6 p.m. start time 20 minutes to accommodate the large turnout at the Knox County Career Center’s Senior Awards ceremony on Thursday, but the delay did not dampen the students’ enthusiasm.
Before the night was over, 297 Career Passport recipients walked the stage in Ariel Arena on the Mount Vernon Nazarene University campus.
Director Elaine Robinson presented KCCC grad Chuck Hurlow with the Sam Hankinson Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Hurlow told the graduates to embrace opportunity, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and never stop learning.
Hurlow said life requires patience and care, much like landscaping, which was his career center path. He told students to keep digging and keep learning.
“Tonight we celebrate your accomplishments,” Robinson told the students.
Those accomplishments include logging more than 79,000 hours in job placement and more than 10,000 volunteer hours. They also include earning $1,040,000 in wages in job placement.
“Those are incredibly impressive numbers,” she said.
Adabelle Miller, health technologies, received the Student of the Year award.
Other award winners are:
• Mara Bieri, sports medicine and exercise science, Helen Willson Memorial Scholarship
• Jacob Stewart, metal fabrication & welding, Donald Griffing Award
• Alyssa Higgs, precision machining, James Spadafore Award.
Other accolades include 19 students being honored with employability awards, four being recognized for perfect attendance for two years, and 19 being presented with citizenship awards.
