(TAMPA, Fla., 4/26/2021) – The 52nd Annual Commencement Exercises of Hillsborough Community College (HCC) will be held virtually on Friday, May 7, 2021, at 10 a.m. HCC President, Dr. Ken Atwater, will preside over the virtual ceremony, which will include conferring of degrees. The virtual ceremony will replace the traditional in-person ceremony to recognize the 2020-2021 graduates who are unable to participate due to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic.
Over 4,000 students are eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony, which includes those who have completed coursework over the 2020-2021 academic year. Graduates will also be invited to participate in the next traditional in-person ceremony.
This year’s student speaker, Charlotte White-Patrick, is a military spouse and mother of three children. She graduates HCC with a 4.0 GPA and an associate in arts degree in mass communications. She will continue her education at the University of Central Florida, where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in technical communications.
The youngest graduate is 16-year-old Angelica Kay-Marie Silvestre, who has earned an associate in arts degree. The oldest graduate is 63-year-old Cheryl D. Lyle, who has earned an associate in arts degree.
Among this year’s graduates are over 220 Collegiate Academy students from Armwood, Leto and Lennard High Schools who have completed 60 college credits at HCC in addition to their required high school class schedules. This is the fifth graduating class of Collegiate Academy students.
Hillsborough Community College serves more than 47,000 students annually at its five campuses located throughout Tampa Bay. The College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information, visit hccfl.edu.