HOUGHTON, NY - Students, family, and friends gathered at Houghton College recently to celebrate 45 December graduates, including three from Allegany County and one from Potter County, Pennsylvania.
Houghton College President Shirley A. Mullen hosted a reception at her home for the students and their families on Wednesday, December 6. She was joined by Phyllis Gaerte, alumni and community engagement director at the college, as they welcomed the graduates into the family of more than 22,000 Houghton alumni around the world.
This year’s December graduates represented 27 of the college’s 40 majors. Communication was the most commonly studied major, followed by business administration and biology. More than 70 percent of the graduates hail from New York State, alongside classmates from Indiana, Montana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the country of South Korea. Two of the students are completing their degree through Houghton College Online, and one student is finishing an Associate of Arts degree at the Houghton College Buffalo extension site.
Alumni connections run deep for some of this year’s December graduates. Eleven students have siblings who are either alumni or currently attending Houghton, while two graduates are children of Houghton alumni.
Gaerte encouraged graduates to continue to draw on the college as both a relational and career resource while they are making the transition from student to post-collegiate life. President Mullen challenged graduates to “be open to surprise,” and reminded them that, “many of the things you most hope for come in forms other than what you expect.”
This year’s December graduates from the counties of Allegany and Potter include:
Laura Black, Biology, Houghton, NY
Rachael Cronk, Communication, Houghton, NY
Briana Hollenbeck, Inclusive Childhood Education, Angelica, NY
Edward Mace, Studio Art, Genesee, PA
