Southwestern Michigan College will bestow the largest number of degrees in its 46-year history during the 45th commencement ceremony at 11 a.m.  May 5 in the gymnasium of the Charles O. Zollar Building on the Dowagiac campus.
The college will confer 527 associate degrees and certificates to 447 SMC students.
“The growth over the years has been steady with a jump in the early ’90s, said David Mathews, president of SMC. “But in the last 10 years it has been substantial. This can be contributed to our positioning in the region, as well as our student success rates, on-campus housing, and student life activities we offer, creating a total college life experience for our students.”
Michigan Sen. John Proos will deliver the commencement address. Sen. Proos, of St. Joseph, was elected to the Michigan Senate in November 2010 to represent the 21st district of Berrien, Cass, and most of Van Buren counties. He served as State Representative of the 79th district from 2005 through 2010.
Eugene Staples, pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Dowagiac, will give the invocation and benediction. The SMC Symphonic Band, conducted by Jonathan Korzun, and Select Voices, under the direction of David Carew, will provide music for the ceremony.
A reception for the graduates, their families, and friends will immediately follow commencement in the Student Activity Center of the Charles O. Zollar Building.
In addition, Ferris State University at Southwestern Michigan College will award 25 bachelor’s degrees during the ceremony.
The following are local graduates:

Buchanan
Associate in Arts
Stephanie Burns
Austin Dykstra
Ashley French, honors
Amanda Lindamood, honors
Timothy Mosier
Associate in Science
Sharon Arnold
Stephanie Burns
Kelsey Dykstra
Associate in Applied Science
Lisa Ketcham
Jeffrey Platt, honors
Robert Przybylski
Nicole Rutherford, honors
Robert Shelton, honors
Britney Shinall
Frederick Syrette
Certificate
Stephanie Burns
Trevor Gray
Lisa Ketcham
Rebekah Martin
Spencer Miller
Dakota Price
Britney Shinall
Robert Shreve

Cassopolis
Associate in Arts
Eric Brown
Matthew Eby, honors
Courtney Hyche
Mimi Keosakdy
Sierra Knepple, honors
Lucienne Lafontant, honors
Mason McMillen
Brett Poorman, honors
Scott Turnbow
Terry Williams

Associate in Science
Paige Breden, honors
Jennifer Craft
Emily Hartsell
Courtney Hyche
Joanna Pickar
Rachel Sexton
Associate in Applied Science
Prescott Doll
Melissa Love
Gene McIntosh, honors
Brandy Reed, honors
Kayleen Velthouse, honors
Certificate
Randi Hoffman
Macy Howard
Jon Swingle
Kayleen Velthouse

Decatur
Associate in Arts
Teresa Brautigam, honors
Jeffrey Parish
Christian Smith
Sheryl Wilber
Associate in Applied Science
Corey Barbieri, honors
Kim Hull
Mark Johnson
Holly Ogden
Jeffrey Parish
Sandra Wulff
Certificate
Teresa Brautigam
Jesus Nolasco

Dowagiac
Associate in Arts
Sarah Bell
Travis Bruens
Matt Bussler
Jessica Carlsen
Brittany Cavanary
Elizabeth Ditz
Glen Ditz, honors
Marcie Ennesser
Elizabeth Feirick
Gabriela Fernandez
Kelly Frantz, honors
Kandace Gebhard, honors
Staci Heffington
Kristen Hoadley
Mercedes Johnson
Anthony Langley
Joseph Larson
Arqullia Lewis
Matthias Longden
Brendan McCaffrey
Adeline McFadden, honors
Eric Morton
Durrell Murray
Amber Olsen
Shelby Palmer
Heather Penley
Jessica Perez
Travis Piper
Melissa Potter
Chelsey Preston
Jacob Richcreek
Anthony Saviano
Andrea Skalla
Tiffaney Street
Amanda Swartz
Benjamin Wainwright, honors
Jodi Wallace
Katie Wood
Sarah Wright, honors
Associate in Science
Tesla Ayers
Katie Wood
Associate in Applied Science
Abraham Arango
Bradley Baker, honors
Tonnie Blackamore, honors
Tiffany Brooks, honors
Jenniffer Calkins
Samantha Chubb
Brian Darlas, honors
David Fester
Kelly Frantz, honors
Trenten Fryman
Kandace Gebhard, honors
Laura Goffinet
Lindsay Heidenreich, honors
Christina Hinton
Michael Kempisty
Kenneth King, honors
Rose Klees
Elizabeth LaPorte
Tina Ledford
Kassandra Leitz
Corinne Markle
Kathlene McClain
Guy Nearpass, honors
David Ottinger, honors
Melissa Potter
Chelsey Preston
Dominic Rappelli, honors
Jonathan Reinhardt
Kyle Robbins
Allycia Rudlaff
Robin Runyan
Tiffany Smith
James Spaulding
Adam Springsteen
Alyson Wheeler, honors
Sarah Wilson
Certificate
Tonnie Blackamore
Staci Heffington
Melanie Howard
Kenneth King
Guadalupe Manzano
David Ottinger
Julia Rumsey
Anthony Saviano
Michelle Smith
Tiffany Smith
Krystin Weberg

Edwardsburg
Associate in Arts
Joshua Armstrong
Rachel Breden, honors
Katelynn Cannon
Kathy Davis, honors
Matthew Dudley
Michael Jones
Holly Kutschbach
Neil Lemrow
Sarah Luttrell
Ethan Wesley
Lloyd Whitmyer
Associate in Science
Ryan Ackels
Kayla Gorney
Nicole Griffing, honors
Mark Kaminsky
Associate in Applied Science
Nicole Griffing, honors
Paul Harris, honors
Meredith Hosking
Kylie Hurley
Richard Miller
Trista Miller
Michael Mullinax
Sheila Praklet
Jamilynn Probst
David Sinkiewicz, honors
Ronald Spring, honors
JoAnn Sunday, honors
Elizabeth Weber
Lloyd Whitmyer
Certificate
Kylie Hurley
Sheila Praklet

Niles
Associate in Arts
Dustin Baxter
Donald Bennett
Richard Brown
Tamiko Brown
Thomas Buzzard
Emily Calbreath-Frasieur, honors
Stephani Cashier-Rodriguez
Melissa Dickey, honors
Bryce Flannery
Andrea Groote, honors
Ashlee Hicks
Joseph Kelley
Shannon Knight
Amy Konopinski
Emily Krieger
Kathy Mankowski, honors
Nicholas Mathias
Lindsey Medlin
Christopher Mondschein, honors
Brooke Olson, honors
Tamara Pecot
Ashleigh Pellow, honors
Emily Sossoman, honors
Nicole Syson
Associate in Science
Andrew Cox, honors
Fawn Fisher
Elisabeth Hendrick
Leslie Hopper, honors
Andrew Mallo
Ashley Olson, honors
Emily Sossoman, honors
Andrew Villa
Cody Williams, honors
Associate in Applied Science
Caleb Adams
Hope Ashimwe
Maria Butts
Destyni Carbon
Stephani Cashier-Rodriguez
Taelyn Cassiday, honors
Kelly Courtney, honors
Gary Crouch, honors
Joshua Curtis, honors
Patrick Fisher
Amanda Freeze
Kyle Garlanger, honors
Jessica Holmes
Barbara Holycross
James Joyner
Sarah Joyner
Julie Kater
Joseph Kelley
Paula Kendall, honors
Tyreta Lee
Cora Lolmaugh
Kyle Malott
Lynzy Manaloto, honors
Kathy Mankowski, honors
Justin Miller
Robert Mitchell, honors
Kylee Mudd
Nicholas Musser
Lizette Myers
Benjamin Richardson
Bonnie Roberts, honors
Steven Rolston, honors
Philip Shirk, honors
David Sierra
Katie Smallwood
Charles Smith
Emily Sossoman, honors
Raegan Strickland
Nicole Syson
Erica Thomas, honors
Heather Walker, honors
Kristen Werner, honors
Robert Wilken
Jonathan Williams
Philisity Williamson
Certificate
Nicholas Bowker
Caitlin Brady
Taelyn Cass