Featured photo: Left to right: Jackson Allen, Matthew James Overholser, Jonatan Mendoza Aguilar, Michael Tlacomulco Lazcano, Juliana Valdovinos, Jesus Estrada Santiago, Kimberly Perez Juarez, Brandon Valdez Muñoz, Ruby Dominguez-Manuel, Jair Arriaga, Alexia Gladd, Chris Mills. (Several not pictured.) Photo by Rich Keen.
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Blue Ridge Community College recently held a multi-cohort graduation ceremony celebrating the 16 graduates of the nationally-recognized Apprenticeship Blue Ridge program. The three apprenticeship areas represented at the ceremony were Automotive, Early Childhood Education, and Business & Banking.
Apprenticeship Blue Ridge at Blue Ridge Community College is an NC Registered Apprenticeship program that blends hands-on learning with on-the-job training, allowing participants to earn while they learn. Apprentices work under the guidance of experienced professionals while taking college courses that directly apply to their work and field. At the July 22 ceremony, several employers attended to support their apprenticeship employees.
President Dr. Laura B. Leatherwood welcomed the graduates and attendees on behalf of the College and commended the apprentices for their dedication. She also spoke about the broad impact of Apprenticeship Blue Ridge.
“Apprenticeships create a reliable pipeline of highly skilled employees, they strengthen retention, and they help businesses prepare the workforce needed for the future,” she explained. “In doing so, they also strengthen families, our economy, and the entire Western North Carolina region.”
Dean of Business and Service Careers Brenda Blackburn and Dean of Advanced Technologies Joe Shook both spoke in celebration of the successful completion of the program by all graduates.
Apprentices Matthew Overholser (Automotive program), Ruby Dominguez-Manuel (Early Childhood Education program) and Juliana Valdovinos (Business & Banking program) all reflected upon their valuable experiences in their respective programs.
Information about Apprenticeship Blue Ridge is on the College website at www.blueridge.edu/apprentice.
The summer 2026 graduates of Apprenticeship Blue Ridge included, by discipline:
Early Childhood:
Nicol Ayla-Mijares
Ruby Dominguez-Manuel
Alexia Gladd
Lyndsey Goss
Grecia Hernandez Garcia
Mia Lester
Kimberly Perez Juarez
Business & Banking:
Jackson Allen
Jonatan Mendoza Aguilar
Juliana Valdovinos
Automotive:
Jair Arriaga
Jesus Estrada Santiago
Michael Tlacomulco Lazcano
Raymond Mills
Matthew Overholser
Brandon Valdez-Munoz
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