Featured photo: Class of 2022 graduates move their tassels from right to left on Dec. 16, 2022, at Blue Ridge Community College. (Photo by: Benjamin Rickert) View our full event photo gallery.
Video of the Graduation Ceremony
Marketing & Communications Dept.
In honor of its Fall 2022 graduates, Blue Ridge Community College hosted a graduation commencement ceremony on Friday, December 16. The event honored 197 graduates who earned 261 credentials, including 120 degrees, 81 certificates, and 15 diplomas.
During her opening remarks, Blue Ridge President Dr. Laura B. Leatherwood congratulated the graduates for their hard work and diligence.

President Dr. Laura Leatherwood distributes a diploma to a Blue Ridge Community College graduate on Dec. 16, 2022.
“Your journey through education has brought you to this moment – this summit – and your journey is far from over,” Dr. Leatherwood said. “As you continue in your life and career, remember that leaving the world around us better than we found it is what it means to be a Blue Ridge Community College graduate.”
Commencement speaker and Executive Director of the National Technical Honor Society Peyton Holland commended them for the benefit the graduates will provide to their communities.
“You will be the leaders and the builders, the creators and the innovators, the game changers of tomorrow’s workforce,” said Holland. “What your degree represents tonight is not only a major accomplishment for you, but a significant gain for the communities in which you live and work.”
A link to the graduation ceremony video and event photos will be posted on the Blue Ridge website the week of December 19.
The list of student graduates* included:
Buncombe County
- Ashley Cromer, Criminal Justice Technology
- Hannah Golkowski, Teacher Preparation, Interpreter Education-Fundamentals of ASL
- Wyatt Goodman, Business Administration-Business & Banking Apprenticeship
- Sara Goodwin, Horticulture Technology
- Leah Griesmann, Criminal Justice Technology-Foundations of CJC
- Jose Gutierrez, Jr., Public Safety Administration-Law Enforcement
- Michelle Hearst, Early Childhood Education-Career Entry Pathway
- Aeneas Jefferson, College Transfer
- Tabitha Judy, Theatre
- Trinity Justice, Business Administration-Marketing & Retailing
- Alexandria Lambeth, Horticulture Technology-Small Fruits & Specialty Crops
- Scott McDade, College Transfer
- Steven Moss, College Transfer
- Rachel Nelson, College Transfer
- Priscilla Quinlan, Horticulture Technology-Combined Pathways
- Amber Radford, Business Administration-Graphic Design
- Eric VonCannon, Information Technology-Computer Programming & Development
Burke County
- Jennifer Green, General Occupational Technology
Guilford County
- Erin Williams, College Transfer
Haywood County
- Jeremy Landt, Public Safety Administration-Emergency & Fire Management
Henderson County
- Samuel Atwood, Automotive Systems Technology
- Luis Barco Grimaldo, Mechatronics Engineering Technology-Industrial Manufacturing Production Technician Apprenticeship
- Kassandra Bartlett, Early Childhood Education
- Marlena Beauchamps, College Transfer
- Ryan Best, Information Technology-Network Management
- Gabriel Black, College Transfer
- Ethan Blankenship, Business Administration-Business & Banking Apprenticeship
- Brittany Bodine, Business Administration-General Business Administration
- Keith Bradley, College Transfer
- Robert Bunch, Welding Technology
- Mikayla Chapman, College Transfer
- Taylor Chapman, Horticulture Technology
- Angela Clayton, Accounting & Finance-Bookkeeping I
- Michael Cochran, Welding Technology
- Christopher Condrey, Information Technology-Network Management
- Nora Cornelison, College Transfer
- Eduardo Correa-Peña, Business Administration-Entrepreneurship
- Yesim Deale, College Transfer
- Freddy Diaz-Barbosa, Automotive Systems Technology
- Ashley Dodd, Teacher Preparation, Interpreter Education-Fundamentals of ASL
- Conner Doucette, Automotive Light-Duty Diesel Technology-Fuel Systems
- Kallie Eastwood, Teacher Preparation
- Emma Elms, Business Administration-CCP Entrepreneurship
- Cassandra Farmer, Nursing
- Kristen Fore, College Transfer
- Alexus Freeman, Theatre
- Noel Garcia-Hurtado, College Transfer
- Isaiah Gasperson, Criminal Justice Technology
- Jacob Gazaway, Automotive Systems Technology
- Sawyer Hall, College Transfer
- Lenore Hardin, Office Administration-Office Specialist
- Braydon Harris, Business Administration-Business & Banking Apprenticeship
- Christopher Hoglen, College Transfer
- Desean Jackson, Electronics Engineering Technology – Basic Electronics
- Elizabeth Jahns, College Transfer
- Jaqese Johnson, College Transfer
- Susan Jordan, Business Administration-Graphic Design
- Keith Kilpatrick, Business Administration-Public Administration
- Chase King, Horticulture Technology-Turfgrass Management
- Hannah King, College Transfer
- David Kleiner, Information Technology-Support & Services
- Kristofer Knudson, Mechatronics Engineering Technology-Industrial Manufacturing Production Technician Apprenticeship
- Katie LaFave, College Transfer
- Ryan Lagadi, College Transfer
- Georgina Landovsky, Business Administration- Graphic Design
- Alea Latham, College Transfer
- Tobias Longworth, Film & Video Production Technology
- Ximena Maldonado-Gomez, Business Administration-Business & Banking Apprenticeship
- Jared Marley, Accounting & Finance
- Erick Martinez, Emergency Medical Science
- Humberto Martinez-Aguilar, Welding Technology
- Harrison Meadows, College Transfer
- Cristina Medinacelli, College Transfer
- Jonah Mendoza, Business Administration-Business & Banking Apprenticeship
- Richard Merrell, General Occupational Technology
- Christian Miller, College Transfer
- Alexandra Mills, Early Childhood Education-Career Entry
- Maria Miranda-Salgado, Business Administration-Business & Banking Apprenticeship
- Dilan Montes, Business Administration-Business & Banking Apprenticeship
- Paulette Morales Valencia, Accounting & Finance
- Hunter Mullen, Emergency Medical Science
- Denise Murphy, Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Education-Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood Education-Preschool, Early Childhood Education-Teacher Preparation
- Joshua Myers, Information Technology-CyberSecurity
- Brooke Netherton, Mechatronics Engineering Technology-Industrial Manufacturing Production Technician Apprenticeship
- Sergio Ochoa Hernandez, Business Administration-Entrepreneurship
- David Orihuela-Rico, Mechatronics Engineering Technology-Industrial Manufacturing Production Technician Apprenticeship
- Avery Pace, Automotive Systems Technology-Driveline Performance
- Ashley Palencia-Ortiz, College Transfer
- Ashley Parks, Accounting & Finance
- John Paulhamus, College Transfer
- Giovanni Perlain, College Transfer
- Mary Phillips, Human Services Technology
- Shalon Pierce, Business Administration-Banking and Finance
- Anthony Pulley, College Transfer
- Coleman Ridenour, College Transfer
- Cristian Salitre-Dothe, College Transfer
- Felicia Sanchez, Business Administration
- Gabriel Sanders, Mechatronics Engineering Technology-Industrial Manufacturing Production Technician Apprenticeship
- Pearlie Scott, Human Services Technology
- Kena Shaw, Office Administration
- Ashleigh Shipman, College Transfer
- Casey Silvers, Fire Protection Technology
- Zachary Swekosky, College Transfer
- Drew Thompson, Accounting & Finance
- Amy Treece, College Transfer
- Benito Vazquez-Perez, Automotive Systems Technology
- Rebecca Vera, Early Childhood Education-Transfer Pathway, Early Childhood Education-Administration
- Maria Vera Yepez, Teacher Preparation
- Veraely Villa, Early Childhood Education- Career Entry Pathway
- Brenda Waters, Early Childhood Education
- Grace Welch, College Transfer
- Brooklyn Worley, College Transfer
Hoke County
- Amy Figgs, Business Administration
Madison County
- Lilly Johnson, Emergency Medical Science
Polk County
- Samantha Arledge, College Transfer
- Dayton Hawelu-Kim, College Transfer
- Anna King, College Transfer
- Macii Stephenson-Pickett, Nursing
- Emma Stewart, Horticulture Technology-Ornamental Plant Production
Rutherford County
- Emily Caro, College Transfer
- Teresa Lattimore, Office Administration-Medical Office
- Aslyne Tate, Public Safety Administration-Law Enforcement
Transylvania County
- Biancamaria Arredondo-Walsh, Office Administration
- Caitlin Caudle, Visual Arts
- Samuel Chappell, Information Technology-Network Management
- Cannon Clark, Automotive Systems Technology
- Alex Eberhardt, Computer-Integrated Machining
- Madelyn Foster, College Transfer
- Robert Gentile, College Transfer
- Bradley Henderson, Emergency Medical Science
- Sidney Hensley, Accounting & Finance
- Kina Howell, College Transfer
- Andrew Jordan, College Transfer
- Kerstin Landreth, Business Administration-Entrepreneurship
- Leanne Owen, Business Administration-Marketing & Retailing
- Eve Reid, College Transfer
- Kevin Spradlin, Computer-Integrated Machining
- Braeden Toole, Automotive Systems Technology
- Daniel Walker, Film & Video Production Technology
- Sebastian Williams, Electronics Engineering Technology
Virginia
- Megan Coleman, College Transfer
Wake County
- Sabrine Alhorani, College Transfer
*Only graduates who gave permission to be named are listed above.