Tompkins Cortland Community College graduates over 400 students on Dryden campus

Tompkins Cortland Community College held its 56th commencement ceremony on May 21.

The college graduated 461 students as it honored the Class of 2025. Professors Jake Jacob and Kimberly Sharpe, who are both retiring following long and distinguished careers, opened the ceremony.

Roxann Buck welcomed the Class of 2025 graduates and guests, and student trustee Shannon Boyd provided comments on behalf of TC3’s student members.

“This day represents more than the completion of credits,” Boyd said. “It’s the product of nights spent piecing together papers in the library, breakthroughs in classrooms and labs, heart-to-hearts in the student center, laughter over coffee in the Fireside Café and times we paused to gather ourselves when things got tough. These moments, strung together, are what brought us here together. TC3 gave us more than knowledge — it gave us perspective. It taught us how to show up, how to stay curious and how to lead with heart. It taught us that even when the road is uneven, we can still keep going.”

Julie Matijas, Mame Ndiaye and Patricia Schaap were presented with distinguished alumni awards.

A description of each awardee was provided by TC3:

• Matijas, a 2000 graduate with a liberal and arts and sciences (general studies) degree, has built an impressive career in real estate in Cortland County. 
• Ndiaye, a 2015 graduate in criminal justice, is now the Associate Director of Inclusive Enrollment at the Brooks School of Cornell University. 
• Schaap, a 2004 graduate in human services, is the Director of Community Services for the Cortland County Mental Health Department.

TC3 president Amy Kremenek conducted a speech in which she challenged the Class of 2025 to cherish their time on campus, but also to keep moving forward.

“Undoubtedly you have memories of what it took to earn this degree. But I’d like to take a moment to leave the memory of those challenges behind and focus only on the future,” she said. “At the same time you rose to the academic challenge, you also adapted to new cultures, new people, new surroundings. This isn’t always easy, and I know it won’t always be easy going forward. But you’ve shown that you can adapt, that you can work with others, that you can learn from differences and find common ground.”

Following congratulatory praise, Kremenek sent off the graduates as the ceremony came to a close.

“You are ready. Now the real fun and real work of your education begins,” she added. “A world of possibilities is in front of you. Make the most of it.”

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

‘VarnaWalks!’ event scheduled for June 7

The Varna Community Association will hold a walk-a-thon fundraiser called VarnaWalks! on Saturday, June 7.

Beginning at 8:30 a.m., the event will highlight the walking trails in and around the hamlet of Varna, including the new Jim Skaley trail, which connects the Varna Community Center with the Dryden Rail Trail.

Check-in for the June 7 event will be at the community center. The cost to participate is $10 per person or $25 for a family of three to five members.

Proceeds from the event will help the Varna Community Association to continue offering free programs and resources to the community, including the annual Summer Family Fun Festival and the free food cupboard in front of the community center.

Participants will receive water, route and safety information and a VarnaWalks! sticker. Parking will be available in the front or back of the community center and at Varna Auto, Strebel Planning and Bell’s Auto.

The restrooms, playground and picnic tables at the community center will be available all day.

To register for the event, go to the Dryden Recreation Department website at drydenrec.recdesk.com.

For more information, visit varnacommunityassociation.org.

Brewed for Suspense book club meets on June 3

The Southworth Library announced that the Brewed for Suspense book club is scheduled to meet on June 3 at Brewer’s Kitchen & Taproom at 1384 Dryden Rd. in the town of Dryden.

The club will discuss the book All That is Wicked: A Gilded-Age Story of Murder and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind, by crime historian and podcaster Kate Winkler Dawson.

The library provided a description of the book: “In the book, [Dawson] tells the thrilling story of Edward Rulloff — a serial murderer who was called ‘too intelligent to be killed’ and the array of 19th century investigators who were convinced his brain held the key to finally understanding the criminal mind. Ruloff spent many years in the Ithaca area and his much studied brain is still in situ at the Cornell University Wilder Brain Collection.”

For more information, go to southworthlibrary.org.

Upcoming meetings for the town of Dryden

The Dryden Town Board is scheduled to meet on June 12 and 19, each time at 6 p.m., at the town hall on 93 E. Main St. The public is invited to attend, either in person or via Zoom.

For more information, contact the town hall at 607-844-8888. Agendas for each meeting will be available at dryden.ny.us.