Bunker Hill Community College Holds 50th Commencement Exercises, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey Addresses Graduates
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) held its 50th Commencement Exercises on Thursday at the MGM Music Hall in Boston, with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey addressing graduates as keynote speaker and recipient of the College’s Presidential Distinguished Service Award.
Bunker Hill Community College is the largest of the 15 Community Colleges in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, serving approximately 16,000 students per year, including more than 600 international students from 94 countries, speaking more than 75 languages.
About the Class of 2024:
- 1182 total students
- 420 received Associate of Arts degrees
- 629 received Associate of Science degrees
- 133 received certificates
- 43 graduates were Veterans, Military Personnel, and family members
- 150 received honors with a GPA of 3.3 or higher
- 364 received high honors with a GPA of 3.5 or higher
- 150 received highest honors with a GPA of 3.9 or higher
- 24 received more than one degree
- 8 graduates in 2024 received an associate degree earned through BHCC’s Early College programs—finishing high school already with one higher education credential
In her keynote speech, Healey praised the Class of 2024 as future leaders. “You are the nurses and healthcare professionals who will care for us. You are the teachers who will pass on the gift of learning to the next generation. You are the computer science and IT professionals who will make all our work more innovative and efficient. You are the engineers who will advance our clean energy transition and protect our climate. You are entrepreneurs who will start new businesses...You are the future leaders of our state.”
BHCC President Pam Y. Eddinger presided over the ceremony and addressed graduates and impressed upon them the importance of appreciating the power of life’s quiet moments. “If we are lucky, small gifts of the ordinary would fill the rooms and hallways of your life. These quiet moments bring into joyful relief the extraordinary days like today, but they also hold us in the blessings of a peaceful life well-lived, with friends, family, and those with whom we choose to celebrate the everyday.”
Student Government Association President Javkhlan Batsaikhan also addressed the graduating class and more than 4,000 friends, family and supporters gathered at the MGM Music Hall in Boston. Batsaikhan, an international student who hails from Mongolia, urged her peers to go forth with vision and resilience. “These principles...have not just prepared us to meet the challenges we know the future will bring, they have empowered us to lead and thrive in whatever endeavors we choose.”
Interim Director of the College’s Halting Oppressive Pathways through Education (HOPE) Initiative Evans Erilus addressed the commencement on behalf of faculty and professional staff. He recalled the inspirational story of his brother, Rickey, and his journey to a college degree. “Rickey’s path was never linear. Through it all, he persisted, and after seven eventful years, he secured his associate degree from community college.”
In addition to the President’s Service Award, Eddinger also presented the President’s Leadership Award to three members of the graduating class: Yuki Imamura, Mira Lama, and Eraste Talla Ngoualadjo. The Trustees of the College presented their Service Award to two departments for their service: The Department of Public Safety and the MassReconnect Team.
Media Contact:
Brendan P. Hughes, Director of Public Affairs
Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA 02129
Phone: 617-937-9365; Email: brendan.hughes@bhcc.edu
About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. The College offers associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific training programs. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).