Raylene McGuire of Westport, 28, and 8.5 months pregnant with her second child, gave the student marshals address at Clatsop Community Colleges graduation Friday. Her co-marshal Juanita JD Spencer, a 59-year-old on disability with a service dog permanently at her side, would become one of the most award-winning students in Clatsops history.

The two, part of a Class of 2014 earning 146 two-year academic degrees and 45 one-year certificates Friday, exemplified the colleges mission to provide open access to postsecondary educational opportunities.

Personally, I did terribly in high school academically, said President Lawrence Galizio in his address to students. You ever seen Animal House? Think of John Belushis character. He had a 0.2 (GPA) or something I was right around there.

Fortunately, he said, he was advised to attend a community college, which rekindled his passion in education and started him on the track to now, when he has earned his associate, bachelors, masters and Ph.D., serving as an Oregon state representative and now president of a college. More than half of university graduates, he added, have attended community colleges, the norm rather than the exception for postsecondary education.

Joining McGuire and Spencer were diverse classmates, from teenagers to a grandmother returning to school after decades with the help of an AARP scholarship.

Clatsop graduated students from every city in Clatsop and Pacific (Wash.) counties, and from as far away as Norfolk, Va. It awarded 65 associate transfer degrees, which students will use to continue their studies at a university. More than half of Clatsop students take career technical education programs, guiding them from Clatsops classrooms directly into the workforce.

And Friday was just the cap on a week of graduations. On June 9, nearly 100 students earned their GED certificates. Many more graduated earlier last week from the colleges various student support groups such as TRIO Plus and Lives in Transition.

Something special

CCC was just going to get me started, said McGuire during her presentation. I was sure that my time here would be nothing extraordinary. I couldnt have been more wrong.

McGuire and many of the other students at the college point to the small size of the school and close relationships with people who work there. She entreated graduates to look back in 10 years and remember those from Clatsop who helped get them started.

McGuires running mate Spencer, whose 4-year-old service golden retriever Shikoba has been attending classes with her since a puppy, has dealt with continuing back pain, mobility issues and several starts and stops during college. Pushing through to the finish this spring, Spencer was named one of 50 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Silver Scholars nationally, and one of only 20 national Guistwhite scholars named by the community college honor society, Phi Theta Kappa.

High school collegians

Four of the graduates had just earned their high school diplomas within days of walking with Clatsop. Most were from Washingtons Running Start program, which allows juniors and seniors to attend college early.

They included Karianne Condon, 18, who rode with her mom every day from Naselle, Wash., to Clatsop, where she was a full-time student earning 15 credits per term. Condon earned an associate degree. She returns in the fall to study medical assisting and decide whether she wants to become a nurse.

I already have two years (of college), so Im in no rush, said Condon, whose older brother came within one class of accomplishing the same feat. Both are first-generation college students.

Galizio honors fathers

Silviano Lopez returned to school after raising four daughters. Originally from Mexico, he started learning English and eventually earned his GED. On Friday, he earned an associate transfer degree, shortly after winning the Presidents Award from Galizio.

A husband, a student, an employee working part time at Home Depot, and still Silviano took time to become a really valuable part of the campus community, said Galizio. Lopez is part of the Latino Club and is involved in many other college activities. Everyone knows Silviano at the college.

And Lopez isnt finished, he heads to Oregon State University in the fall.

Possibly the oldest graduate Friday, David Lum, 80, was given an honorary Associate of Letters Degree. He graduated from Astoria High School in 1952 and from Linfield College in 1958. He returned to Astoria in 1969, building up his car dealership. Meanwhile, his family made a name for itself helping out every which way in the community.

Education was very important to his mother, who couldnt read or write English or Chinese, Lum said. Widowed at 47 by a husband 30 years older than her and with no Social Security or safety net, Lums mother, he said, made sure her children finished school.

Today youre graduates of the three Cs Clatsop Community College, said Lum to the graduates. I want to say that there are three important Cs in your life.

The first C is choices. You have choices now to make. And you have commitment. And you have connections. Those are the three major things that will help you in the future.

For his part, Galizio implored graduates to stay close to and serve as ambassadors for the college, a true community asset.