GARDNER, MA - May 20, 2026 - Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) celebrated the academic achievements of its 61st graduating class on May 20 at the college's Gardner campus. A total of 850 students graduated, with 430 associate degrees and 553 certificates conferred. Many graduates earned multiple credentials, reflecting the college's emphasis on stackable pathways and workforce-ready education.

As a result of the significant increase in enrollment over the past two years, the commencement was split into two ceremonies, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences ceremony was held in the morning, while the School of Business, Science, Technology, and Mathematics and the School of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, and Education ceremony was held in the afternoon.

Jonathan Gulliver, MassDOT Undersecretary of Transportation, State Highway Administrator, and member of the MWCC Class of 1993, addressed the School of Business, Science, Technology, and Mathematics and the School of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, and Education graduates, sharing his journey from a Mount student through WPI and onto his career in transportation.

"This place gives people opportunities. In fact, I am proud that my own son attends Mount Wachusett Community College today. To me, that says everything," Gulliver shared with graduates. "Community college is not a fallback path. It is a smart path, a practical path, and for many people, it's a life-changing path. Whether you came to the Mount to better yourself, to find a second career, or if you were like me, and came here to help figure out your next steps, you have made a huge choice and an investment in yourself."

"Life is not a race with a single timeline," Gulliver continued. "Your path does not need to look like everyone else's. One of the greatest things about community college is that it gives people a bridge forward, no matter where they are starting from."

Student speaker for the School of Business, Science, Technology, and Mathematics was Gabriella Riendeau of Hudson, New Hampshire, graduating with highest honors, earning an Associate of Science in Environmental Conservation and the Environmental Conservation Curriculum Award.

"As a class, we stand at a crossroads in our garden," Riendeau told her fellow students as she weaved an environmental theme through her speech. "The space we've carefully tended here is coming to an end, but beyond it lies fertile ground, full of possibility. New soil, new seasons, new seeds waiting to be sown. Opportunities are waiting ahead of you; they exist because of the care, patience, and effort you've already poured into your growth. As you move forward, I hope you carry a few things with you. Cherish the roots you've tended to here and take pride in the community that has supported you. Trust the seeds that you are planting now and aspire to cultivate a fruitful future. And of course, never stop growing."

Student speaker for the School of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, and Education, 43-year-old first-generation college student Melissa Gates of Fitchburg, earned an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences with highest honors.

"When I was younger, there were people in my life who told me I wasn't "college material." And for a long time, I believed them. That belief followed me into adulthood. It shaped how I saw myself. When people asked what I did, I would say, "I'm just a server," shrinking myself before anyone else could," Gates shared with graduates. "I also didn't think college was something I could ever afford. But thanks to MWCC and the Mass Reconnect program, people like me were given a second chance. I used to joke that I'd go to college when it was free--and when that moment came, I realized I had a choice: stay comfortable in my doubts or take a terrifying leap into something new. So, I jumped."

MWCC President James Vander Hooven addressed the graduates of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, "You have not just chosen a degree program; you have chosen a vocation. A path of serving and of helping others. There can be no higher calling than that. You have chosen to pursue this career, and this path in spite of its challenges. You overcame obstacles in life to be here today; it has not been an easy path. However, the challenges you have overcome created the opportunity for you to say that "I am so resilient, that I have the ability to overcome whatever the next challenge might be." You will be challenged professionally, but don't forget all the challenges you have overcome. You are capable, and you are ready to go out into the community to serve others. I am so proud of each and every one of you."

Student speaker for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Leila Marie of Fitchburg, graduated with high honors, earning an Associate of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Allied Health and served as President of the Commonwealth Honors Program.

"What does MWCC mean to me? It means growth. Not the kind that feels easy, but the kind that stretches you, challenges you, and changes you in ways you don't always see right away. It means community. Not because we're all the same, but because we showed up for each other anyway. It means becoming not all at once, but in pieces," Marie told her fellow graduates.

The following Winchendon residents are graduates of the Class of 2026:

Allyson Adams
Kimberly S. Andrade
Amanda C. Barbaro
Brenna Bourne
Jacqueline Louise Bussiere
Jeremy Leon Caouette
Nicole Anne Chagnon
Gian Paul Cruz Castro
Mason K. Decker
Brendon K. Dellmuth
Amanda Fitzgerald
Michelle Gelpi-Balthazar
Karina Marie Gonzalez
Jocelyn Marie Hunnewell
Rachael K. Legault
Courtney A. Lively
Nicholas Ferdinand Macallister
Nicole Marie Martin
Jaelynn Mucci
Kelly Murphy
Jared D. Nelson
Sarah Nicole Fay Nikander
Nathan Lawson Oakes
Neffy Ronaldo Pereira
Victor M. Perez
Hannah Marie Raimon
Emilia Elizabeth Ramos
Trinity Savoie
Caiyan C. Shivo
Danielle Leah Sroczynski
Jacqueline M. Toth
Connor Hill Tribou
Joslynn E. Vautour
Arianna May Voorheis
Brielle Anne Voorheis