AUBURN - There was an air of excitement as the 2008 Cayuga Community College graduating class filled the halls, eagerly awaiting the beginning of the 54th annual commencement ceremony.

“It is exciting,” said John Young, 20, who received an associate degree in television and radio broadcasting. “We had a lot of fun and worked on some really cool projects, made a lot of new friends. This is a really exciting day.”

Friends, family and instructors filled the college's gymnasium to greet the more than 700 students of the graduating class as they were led in with all the respect befitting the occasion.

Leading the way was the Syracuse Scottish Pipe Band, followed by the academic procession, which was in turn led by this year's mace bearer, Jeffrey Delbel.

College president Daniel P. Larson reflected on the momentous occasion that this procession and gathering of faculty, students and graduates alike represented.

“There are more than 700 in this class,” Larson said. “And there are more than 10 million students in the American community college system. American community colleges educate more than 50 percent of the population in this country. You should all be very proud and we are all very proud of you.”

Joseph T. Michaud, chair of the college board of trustees, reflected on the many students that have graduated from CCC and the contributions they have made to the community, a tradition that he believes will continue with the class of 2008.

“We, the board of trustees, are all so proud of you,” Michaud said. “Your diplomas have guaranteed you a place in this community and the opportunity to lead and serve others. Whether you choose to stay or to go on to further your education, know that we are proud of you. Graduates provide area staffing and have become a part of the fabric of this community. I am confident that the members of this class will carry on that tradition.”

With students that have studied a variety of subjects from nursing to art, to psychology, Roger A. Mills, Cayuga County Legislature chairman, echoed a similar sentiment about the graduates' future, their place in the county and the quality of the education they have received from CCC.

“This college provides a top quality and affordable education for all of its residents,” Mills said. “You have learned skills here and a work ethic that you will be able to use for the challenges that are ahead.”

Graduates such as Drew Hemler, 22, who received his associate degree in business administration, were impressed with the caliber of instruction and the quality of the preparation they received while studying at the college.

“The teachers were awesome,” Hemler said. “I wanted to study something broad that could go into a lot of different fields. I think it was a really good experience here.”

Jennifer L. Wolfanger, who received her degree in nursing, gave the class of 2008 address.

Larson said that Wolfanger was a wife and mother, who decided it was time to continue her education and follow her dream of becoming a nurse.

Wolfanger took the opportunity to reflect on the challenges that higher education represents, but also on the rewards and memories that are created from those challenges.

“Think back and remember when that mountain seemed so high or the horizon so far away,” Wolfanger said. “Look to the future and remember your days at CCC and as you go into the life that lay ahead, you go with your head held high.”

Larson, while presenting the commencement address, said that often during such addresses, come predictions as to what will become of the class.

Larson spoke of what have become infamous predictions about the value of television, airplanes, movies with sound and the computer.

“This is a time of great change,” Larson said. “There are things that haven't even been invented yet and think of all the things that will happen in the next 100 years that you will get to see invented and the challenges you will face and the ways that you will help and the education you have received that will help change people's lives.”

An education that many, such as Eric Crim, who received associate degrees in both humanities and social sciences and math and science, plan to use as a launch pad.

“I'm going to go to SUNY Oswego,” Crim, 20, said. “And get a four-year degree in bio-chemistry. I looked at a lot of different universities in New York and I would say that this (CCC) is one of the best in my opinion; it was a great value and a great experience that has really helped prepare me to go on. It has been a great stepping stone to my future.”