Northeast State celebrates 928 graduates at spring commencement

BLOUNTVILLE — A sunny spring day with blue skies and white clouds welcomed more than 900 new alumni at the 2026 spring graduation ceremony for Northeast State Community College on Tuesday at the college's Blountville campus. Northeast State administration and faculty led the graduation processional beginning at 9 a.m. to the outdoor amphitheater. Northeast State President Dr. Jeff McCord welcomed new graduates and hundreds of family members and friends who attended the five ceremonies. "You are to be commended for your discipline, your intelligence and your persistence," McCord told graduates. "Be proud of your achievements and your roots, but don't settle; go into the community, the region, and the world, and make something good happen." The five graduation ceremonies honored graduates from the school's six academic divisions and the Adult Education program. The Behavioral & Social Sciences and Mathematics divisions led off the day followed by the divisions of Humanities, Heath Professions, Science and Technologies. The Adult Education graduation concluded the day's graduation ceremony for students. The spring graduating class totaled 928 students receiving 1,109 degrees and certificates. Student graduates received 13 academic certificates, 248 technical certificates, 310 Associate of Applied Science degrees, 34 Associate of Arts degrees, 23 Associate of Science in Teaching degrees, and 481 Associate of Science degrees. Graduating students Payton Vaughn, Jayden Breeden, Molly Suits and Rose Bleckley served as keynote speakers at the four ceremonies. Vaughn urged his fellow graduates to avoid allowing stress about the future to overtake their joy and commitment to the present. "We've been working for our future for the last two years," Vaughn told his fellow graduates. "The future will be your present, and what you pour into your present decides your future." Suits left a career in education to start over as a Health Science major. She said her initial uncertainty about returning to college turned into growth thanks to her professors and fellow students. "We are not just celebrating finishing a program; we are celebrating every moment that got us here," Suits told her classmates. "There is something really special about going through something difficult together and coming out stronger because of it." Graduation keynote speaker Peter Raber, former Northeast State Foundation board chairman, praised students' abilities to do hard things and keep going forward. He told students the ability to continue learning paved the way to future success and growth. "Do not underestimate the power of continuing to learn," said Raber. "Your diploma is not the end of your journey today; it is proof that you know how to grow." The spring 2026 graduating class features 138 students graduating cum laude with grade point averages or GPAs of 3.50 to 3.74, 75 students graduating magna cum laude with GPAs of 3.75 to 3.89, and 112 students graduating summa cum laude with GPAs of 3.90 to 4.00. The Adult Education program welcomed more than 190 total graduates who earned their HiSET diplomas. Northeast State's Adult Education team serves the state's District 1 region, including Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties. The program serves adults older than 16 seeking to earn a high school diploma. A diploma gives students better employment options and allows them to pursue a college degree or technical certificate. "Don't wait for the stars to align," Vaughn said. "Reach for the stars and align them yourself."