What do you call someone who attended WCC? Employed.
That’s our promise at Washtenaw Community College, one that we work hard to fulfill every single day.
Each year at our Commencement ceremony, I have the immense honor of watching that promise come to life in the smiles, tears, and triumphant strides of our graduates.
The ceremony is more than a celebration of academic success. It’s a celebration of transformation. It’s a moment to recognize the incredible range of students who walk through the open doors of WCC and follow the personalized paths we help pave for them.
The Class of 2025 includes approximately 2,400 unique graduates who earned around 3,200 degrees and certificates.
About 700 of them attended the Commencement ceremony and crossed the stage to receive their awards.
Behind each of those diplomas is a story. There’s the high school student who dual-enrolled to get a head start, the first-generation college student chasing opportunity, the financially prudent student starting pursuit of advanced degrees at our affordable tuition rates, the adult learner looking to pivot careers, and the retiree finding joy in lifelong learning.
Some of our students are balancing work, parenting, or caregiving responsibilities while attending classes online, in-person or both.
All of them arrive with different circumstances — and all of them leave with something in common: a new direction and the skills to move forward.
Washtenaw Community College doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to education.
We meet students where they are — whether that’s in a high school classroom, in the middle of a career change, or at the beginning of a brand-new chapter. And we help guide them toward where they want to go — often into new careers, better jobs, or advanced education opportunities.
That mission is exemplified not only in our graduates, but also in community champions like Tom Butman, who received this year’s Honorary Associate Degree in Community Service.
Tom Butman is the general manager of Gene Butman Ford in Ypsilanti, where 10 WCC graduates now work in full-time roles, and where students continue to gain real-world experience through apprenticeships and part-time jobs.
After earning a bachelor’s degree, Butman enrolled in the Transportation Technologies program at WCC to strengthen his own knowledge of his family’s industry — a powerful testament to the value of lifelong, career-driven learning.
Our 2025 graduates have persevered, grown, and achieved something remarkable.
Whether they came to WCC to start a journey, continue it, or completely reinvent it, their stories add to the fabric of who we are — and, more importantly, who we serve.
So, again: What do you call someone who attended WCC? Employed.
And Engaged. And Empowered. And Equipped. And Elevated.
Tags: August 2025, Class of 2025, Graduation, On The Record, President's Column