State Fair Community College to Have First Fall Commencement Dec. 15

Previously, those students had to wait to participate in a traditional spring ceremony in May. The ceremony will include SFCC's Health Sciences pinning and commencement for health science graduates. The event will be at 7 p.m. in the Heckart Performing Arts Center at Smith-Cotton High School located at 2010 Tiger Pride Blvd. Extended SFCC campuses will close at 1 p.m. on Dec. 15 to allow students, faculty and staff to travel to Sedalia.

SFCC 2023 alumna Carol Ann Martin will be the keynote speaker for the commencement ceremony. Martin, a certified peer specialist at Recovery Lighthouse, was recognized in 2022 as one of Sedalia's Top 20 under 40 for her advocacy of the importance of recovery support services in her community and for presenting on recovery services to various Missouri representatives in Jefferson City. Having celebrated a five-year milestone recovery from substance abuse, Martin now dedicates herself to helping others navigate their paths to recovery through community outreach and speaking at events across Missouri.

Martin, a wife and mother, obtained her high school equivalency in August 2020 and graduated with her Associate of Arts in Social Work at State Fair Community College in May 2023. She is enrolled in the Human Development and Family Sciences Bachelor of Science program at the University of Central Missouri and expects to graduate in 2027.

This semester, approximately 205 graduates will receive 251 degrees and/or certificates. Breakdown of degrees (as of Dec. 11) include 120 Associate of Arts degrees, 3 Associate of Fine Arts, 9 Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees, 52 Associate of Applied Science degrees, 52 Professional Certificates, and 15 Skills Certificates.

The numbers include students who attend SFCC in Sedalia and at campuses in Boonville, Clinton, Eldon, Lake of the Ozarks, Whiteman Air Force Base, and online.

SFCC’s Adult Education and Literacy program will celebrate individuals who passed the 2023 High School Equivalency exam with a ceremony at 10 a.m. Dec 16 in Stauffacher Theatre on the SFCC Sedalia campus.