Graduating Veterans Recognized at Honor Cord Ceremony

With the conclusion of the academic year quickly approaching, the Clover Park Technical College Veterans Resource Center recognized graduating veterans at its annual Veteran Honor Cord Ceremony and Open House.

CPTC Veteran Navigator Notrip Ticey III welcomed attendees into the VRC for the event, which also showcases the resources available to students, staff, and faculty at the center.

“This is the place where you can come in if you’ve had a bad day,” Ticey said. “This is the place that you can come if you feel overloaded or overwhelmed, come on over. Everybody’s welcome.”

The annual ceremony recognizes veterans who complete their programs during the 2018-19 academic year and provides veterans with a commemorative coin and honor cord to wear on with their graduation gown during the college’s commencement ceremony on June 18.

CPTC Vice President for Strategic Development Dr. Tawny Dotson provided a brief keynote address. She talked about purpose, the importance of finding a new purpose after leaving the military, and the step each of the graduates had taken toward that by pursuing education and new career opportunities. She also encouraged the graduates to keep dreaming.

“Today you are celebrating the accomplishment of a goal, a big goal,” Dotson said. “At some point when graduation is over, you probably are going to say, ‘Now what.’ I’m asking you to in that moment keep dreaming. Contemplate the possibilities, because the truth is there is only one possible thing to do when you accomplish or finish a goal: and that’s to write the next one, maybe even a bigger one. So keep dreaming.”

Ticey also received some recognition as he concludes his term at CPTC as veteran navigator. CPTC Manager of Disability and Veterans Services Brenda McKinney provided Ticey with a gift and shared a few words from an award nomination letter she submitted for him.

“Notrip will be missed by many when his tenure runs out at Clover Park,” McKinney said. “Hopefully, he will drop in from time to time to see how things are running with our new veterans navigator, and he will be heartily welcomed at those times.”

Following the ceremony, attendees enjoyed a full barbecue buffet of burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and more, along with celebratory cake. Eight veterans were in attendance and received their coins and cords. With the quarter still in progress, several students were unable to attend. However, all graduating veteran students are invited to pick up their honor cord prior to graduation in the Veterans Resource Center in Building 2.