Dreams became reality on Friday, May 15, as more than 2,210 Metropolitan Community College students celebrated graduation. About 1,200 crossed the stage at Baxter Arena and stepped into their futures. Many, like Ross Stanford, overcame immense challenges to make it there.
At 15 years old, Stanford was charged with a serious weapons felony and spent two years in the system. At 25, he received another serious felony, this time drug-related. Then, something changed.
“I made a conscious decision to navigate on a different path. But, due to my actions as a young man, my zero point at the beginning of my journey into nursing started at a deep, deep deficit,” Stanford said to the crowd gathered at the 2 p.m. ceremony.
“I remember talking to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Nursing Licensure Division. I explained my background and what I wanted to do and was essentially told that it wasn’t possible — and rightfully so. True to my nature, I just kept moving forward.” He found support through the MCC 180 Re-entry Assistance Program, nursing program staff and community members.
"Without a shadow of a doubt, I know I would not have made it here today without their support, and my trajectory would have looked a lot different,” he said. “This has become my life’s work ... proving to myself and others that yesterday’s problems do not have to hold the reins to tomorrow’s opportunities.”
For some graduates, MCC offered the chance to start over in a different field entirely.
Nathan Kraemer, who is receiving an associate degree in the Mopar Career Automotive Program, didn’t think he’d get an opportunity to graduate.
“After high school I went to college for music education and then decided it wasn’t for me,” Kraemer said. “I didn’t think I’d get another opportunity to go to college.”
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Kraemer moved to Lincoln to work for Sid Dillon. When Sid Dillon leadership asked him if he’d be interested in going through the Mopar Career Automotive Program (CAP) at MCC, Kraemer jumped at the opportunity. The Mopar brand includes Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram.
In two years, Kraemer did more than just learn; he competed on a national stage against 100 community colleges and helped secure the title of 2025 Mopar CAP Bracket Challenge Champions. Beyond that, he found a community in the classroom.
“We all got pretty close,” Kraemer said. “After the ceremony, the whole class is going to go get sushi. It will be the last time I get to see some of those guys since a few are going into the military, and I will likely be moving back to my hometown. I’m sure we’ll stay in touch, but it won’t be the same. I’m sad that the journey is over, but excited for what the future holds.”
Similar to Kraemer, the first career path Amina Abdullahi took didn’t end up being the right one. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Nebraska Omaha, she realized it wasn’t something she enjoyed. She did, however, enjoy being creative.
“I love using color, type and textures to tell a story that gets people talking,” Abdullahi said. “The DIMA program encouraged me to think out of the box.”
She graduated with an associate degree in Design, Interactivity and Media (DIMA) – Graphic Design. She’s considering pairing her business knowledge with her graphic design skills to become a freelance designer.
While some graduates reached the stage through second chances, others arrived there years ahead of schedule through the College’s dual enrollment program for high school students. This year, more than 300 high school students applied for graduation.
While technically only a junior at Millard South High School, Yesenia Hernandez-Williams has already completed an associate degree in Liberal Arts. Watching her mother — the first in her family to graduate from college — cross the MCC stage two years ago inspired Hernandez-Williams to pursue her own associate degree while still in high school.
“It was so crazy to see my mom studying,” Hernandez-Williams said. “I was so proud of her, and I know she was proud of herself for what she accomplished. She gave up so much for us.”
Hernandez-Williams will graduate early from Millard South this year and plans to transfer to the University of Iowa next year. She intends to double major in ethics and public policy and political science with a minor in Latin American studies.
“Doing all my gen eds put me farther ahead so now I can focus on just my degrees,” she said. “Some of my classmates are scared, but I’m not. I’m excited because I’m moving on to bigger things.”
Hernandez-Williams hopes to pursue a leadership role in government and eventually run for public office.
Whether they know it yet or not, graduates are setting out to make an impact on the community. Some already have, like Gertrude “Trudy” Hogueison, who received a certificate of achievement in human services- chemical dependency.
When Hogueison decided to pursue her degree, it was her now-friend Pamela Jeffrey who encouraged her along the way. The two met last year when Jeffrey was undergoing treatment at a facility where Hogueison worked as a tech.
“We became friends, and she was a huge support for me when I needed it. I’m excited to support her at graduation,” Jeffrey said.
Like Hogueison, Teniya Lowe is driven by a desire to help others in her community. She currently works at the Hope Center for Kids in Omaha as the children’s program facilitator and is a mentor with Release Omaha. She said she wants to do more for the youth in her community.
“I watched my nephew go through foster care, and he’s with me now, but I want to help more kids like him,” she said.
She is determined to earn her doctorate in psychology to help more nonprofits locally. Her associate degree/academic transfer from MCC is the first step.
For many graduates, commencement marked the culmination of years spent balancing work, family responsibilities and uncertainty about the future.
For those who know Kendra Hall, it’s not surprising that instead of attending the graduation commencement ceremony, she’s working. The dedicated mother of five is unmatched in work ethic and desire to show her children what’s possible, pushing through a lymphoma diagnosis and divorce to obtain her associate degree in automotive technology, with a focus on Subaru vehicles, in two years.
“I got to show my kids to never quit, even when things get hard. If it’s what you want, there’s a way to make it happen,” she said.
She credits MCC instructor Peter Butler with being “the best instructor I’ve ever had.”
"He knew that everyone had a different learning style and incorporated each of them into his teaching,” she said. “And he was willing to tell me if he didn’t have an answer to a question. Then he’d learn the answer so he could teach us both.”
Now cancer-free, Hall will continue working for Baxter Subaru as a mainline technician. She is happy to report that she has completed two of the eight training modules to become a Master Technician.
Together, the graduates represented the many paths that can lead to a single stage — and the many futures that begin once they leave it.