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BCC Graduates: Be Kind and Keep Learning

Professor Bruce Winn addresses the graduates at Berkshire Community College's commencement on Friday. More photos here. 

LENOX, Mass. — Berkshire Community College graduates were told to be good neighbors and continue learning during the 65th commencement ceremony.

"Your neighbor isn't your Black neighbor, your trans neighbor, your white neighbor, your Mexican neighbor, your Salvadoran neighbor. Your neighbor is your neighbor," associate professor Bruce Winn told a full house at Tanglewood on Friday.

"And I hope you've learned from your experience here at BCC that all of us have a responsibility to help support and protect all of us. The strength of our community comes from the strengths of our neighbors. We believe in the integrity and dignity of every person, and we know that when we protect the rights and freedoms of any of us, we are protecting the rights and freedoms of all of us."

The class of 2025 was awarded 182 associate degrees, including 130 associate in science degrees and 52 associate in arts degrees, and 106 certificates. A total of 288 awards were conferred to 270 students in 41 programs of study.

Thirteen students received more than one degree or certificate, and the graduates ranged from ages 19 to 66.

"Remember to always keep learning," Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega said.

"Never stop blazing your own path, and don't forget to lift others up along the way."

At the beginning of the ceremony, President Ellen Kennedy strayed from her usual graduation remarks and invited Winn to address the audience. She was moved by a keynote speech he delivered at a recent BCC event and decided, "Every word mattered and that they deserve to be heard in full, just as he originally shared them."

"Bruce has been part of Berkshire Community College for many years, and for the past 13 years, he has served as a dedicated faculty member in environmental science," Kennedy explained.

"In the classroom, Bruce not only explored the science of our natural world, but also taught students the importance of advocacy and the power of their own voice."

Winn emphasized the value of education and two major benefits: shields against misinformation and BCC's student-centered environment.

"In a world filled with misinformation, conspiracy theories, and ideas not rooted in reality, an education can act as a vaccination against these falsehoods. And yes, vaccinations are a good thing," he said, triggering applause.

"Anyone who's gone through the biology program or the nursing program can tell you that because they've heard the topic discussed in terms of real scientific research and data, and anyone who has taken a statistics course in our math department can connect the data to conclusions for you. Anyone who has taken environmental courses can point out the logical and factual fallacies in the arguments of climate deniers and anyone who has taken the conspiracy theory course in the honors department can explain to you how conspiracy theories can get started maliciously, but are often spread and perpetuated by people who repeat them without questioning them,"

"My point is that an education can help you to travel safely through the world without being captured by the misinformation traps that come from social media, sometimes mainstream media, and more and more from those we elect to lead us."

He said that if the faculty has done their job, students are taught more than lessons in the textbooks and how to think for themselves.

"There's a second benefit of education that I want to talk to you about, and this comes specifically from a BCC education. This may be true of some other schools as well, but I can only speak from experience from our own BCC campus. Here at BCC, we are student-centered. Everyone who works here has the goal of improving the lives of students," Winn said.

"…Whoever you have interacted with has had your best interest at heart. You wonder what that has to do with education? Well, not all education happens in the classroom. I hope what you take away from this feeling of support and community here at the college is that all of us have to support and protect one another."

Valedictorian Michael Morse, one of the first mechatronics (mechanical, electrical, and computer systems) graduates, explained that he watched MassReconnect go through the Legislature and made a deal with himself that if community college became free, he would enroll.

"Massachusetts made community college free, and I kept my end of the bargain, and I enrolled at BCC," he explained.

"Sometimes we all need to take a risk, and sometimes when we do, the outcome is better than expected."

Morse revealed that if someone told him three years ago, when he was building a successful yet unfulfilling career in retail, that he would be graduating with colors and two years into the path to becoming an engineer, "I would never believe it."

Kennedy said that if any attendees are moved by his story but think it's too late for them, "I want to assure you it is not, as Michael shared. He took a redo and look where it brought him."

"Talk to us, whether you are starting college for the first time or returning to finish what you began," she said.

"We're here to help you take that next step, come back or come for the first time. Start fresh. Start now. MassEducate and MassReconnect make it possible in Massachusetts."

MassReconnect made community college free for students 25 years and older; then, the Healey-Driscoll administration and state Legislature made public community college free for students of any age and income.

MassEducate covers the full cost of tuition and fees for all eligible students. Students may qualify for an allowance of up to $1,200 for books and supplies based on income level, and some may also be eligible for an additional allowance up to $1,200 for other college costs.

Kennedy noted that under Ortega's leadership, "the Commonwealth has taken bold steps to expand access and affordability, most notably making community college free for all residents."

The commissioner advised students to never stop learning, find their own path, and pay it forward.

"You already know how good it feels to challenge yourself and grow from it. You're here today because you did that for the past several years at BCC, but don't stop there," he said.

Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County