LFCC holding its 48th commencement exercises this weekend

This Saturday, starting at 1 p.m., LFCC will hold its 48th commencement ceremony. The graduation will be at Skyline High School in Front Royal.

There are approximately 1,200 students in the LFCC Class of 2019. This total includes students who met all their graduation requirements in summer 2018, fall 2018 and this spring.

Graduate totals by location:
• Frederick County – 279
• Fauquier County – 192
• City of Winchester – 165
• Shenandoah County – 151
• Warren County – 121
• Page County – 79
• Clarke County – 49
• Rappahannock County – 20

Among the graduates are 372 Governor’s Scholars, high school students who have earned enough college credits through dual-enrollment courses to obtain either an associate degree or certificate in general education. This is a 28-percent increase over last year.

“This is such an exciting and rewarding time of year for faculty and our students,” LFCC President Kim Blosser says. “We are so proud of all their hard work. And, we are pleased to have increased the number of graduates this year by about 20 students.”

Olivia Henderson, who is graduating with her associate of arts and sciences degree in business administration and transferring to George Mason University in the fall, is the featured speaker.

Also on Saturday, the College Board will present Medallions of Recognition to five individuals who have contributed in a variety of ways to LFCC’s mission. They are:
• Joel Barkman, president, CEO and founder of Golden Rule Builders Inc. in Catlett. A strong advocate for the college – and the father of two former LFCC students – Barkman and his wife, Patricia, provided a $250,000 gift to the LFCC Educational Foundation in support of the Hazel Hall building project.

• Joanne Cherefko, a retired educator, whose distinguished career includes an assistant superintendent position in New Jersey, an adjunct professorship at LFCC, and being a founding member of the Mountain Vista Governor’s School, which is housed at LFCC’s two campuses. She is a past member of the Warren County School Board and is on the Board of Directors for the Warren County Educational Endowment.

• Kenneth Garrison Jr., executive director of the Heavy Construction Contractors Association (HCCA). He and the HCCA played a vital role as LFCC established and then expanded the heavy equipment operator credentialed program. When crucial grant funding was paused, the HCCA provided $50,000 in scholarship funding to keep the program in operation.

• Fran Jeffries, who has contributed to education as a high school English teacher, assistant principal, director of middle and secondary instruction for Frederick County Public Schools, and adjunct faculty member at Shenandoah University. She served a total of 13 years on the LFCC College Board, steering the board during its search for a fifth LFCC president in 2017.

• Nancy Penney, who retired in 2018 as LFCC’s longest-tenured English professor with 48 years of service. She was a longtime member of the Faculty Council, active on the Teaching Excellence Committee and a fierce advocate for the college’s faculty and students on the Chancellor’s Faculty Advisory Committee.

Additionally, two retired faculty members are being named professors emeriti for their contributions and service to Lord Fairfax. The honor goes to former Math Professor Michael Garrand, and former Psychology Professor Stephen Wisecarver.