Beverly Teaching Student To Speak At North Shore CC Commencement

DANVERS, MA — A Beverly teaching student graduating with a degree in elementary education will be one of the student speakers at North Shore Community College's commencement this weekend.

Sayuri Mojica of Beverly, will be the student speaker at the 2 p.m. commencement on Friday.

Mojica plans to continue at Bridgewater State University, where she will pursue degrees in elementary education and psychology.

During her time at North Shore, Mojica gained more than just academic experience; she developed valuable real-world skills. She said the flexibility of the college allowed her to balance coursework with a Walt Disney World internship, working full-time in an elementary classroom, and other professional opportunities. She said MassTransfer enabled her to complete her general education requirements while ensuring a seamless transition to Bridgewater State University.

North Shore Community College will host commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The college said more than 400 students are expected to attend each of the two ceremonies.

NSCC said the graduating class represents a 10 percent increase over last year, due in part to the state's Free Community College initiative.

This year's graduates include 300 first-generation students, and 29 graduates are U.S. military veterans or family members of veterans.

The college highlighted its Early College students in the Frederic Douglass Collegiate Academy, who begin at NSCC in grade 9 and earn both a Liberal Arts Transfer degree and a high school diploma.

The morning ceremony will feature keynote speaker Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, president and CEO of Walker Therapeutic and Educational Programs and former Massachusetts Secretary of Education.

The student speaker is Andres Cuellar Herrera of Chelsea, who is graduating with an associate degree in Liberal Arts Dual Language. Herrera is originally from Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia, and plans to continue his education at Northeastern University in the health sciences program on the pre-med track.

Massah D. Jones of Lynn will serve as the morning student soloist. Jones, a Liberia native, is graduating this May in Liberal Arts Transfer with a 4.0 GPA. She plans to return to Salem State University to pursue psychology studies.

At the 2 p.m. ceremony, Tom Sands, Market President–North Shore and NHC Board of Trustees, will deliver the keynote address.

Stacy Duggan of Revere will perform as the afternoon student soloist. Duggan is completing her degree in health studies and serves in the Student Government Association.