For those Southwestern Michigan College graduates participating in the 43rd commencement ceremony Saturday success was not just measured by the diploma they received, but also by what they accomplish as they move forward, according to commencement speaker Michael Hansen, president of the Michigan Community College Association.

The college awarded 328 associate degrees and certificates to Southwestern Michigan College students during the ceremony held on the Dowagiac campus. In addition, 21 students received bachelor’s degrees from Ferris State University at Southwestern Michigan College.

“In trying to define this notion of success a bit further, it might be useful to examine the origin of the word, and in doing so, you’ll find that the word ‘success’ actually comes from the Latin word Succedere, which means to go forward from below,” Hansen said. “In other words, it is a very active word and implies motion and forward movement. So when we celebrate success, we have this sense to think of it not as a goal we’ve accomplished, as though we’re at the end, but rather as a step along a process toward other things.”

Hansen, who represents the state’s 28 community colleges in Lansing, told graduates it was a privilege to be a part of these ceremonies at an institution for which “I have so much respect, and is recognized by the community for its outstanding level of academic excellence.”