AC to host spring commencement, and one student 'shoots for the stars'

Amarillo College will honor more than 1,100 graduates at its spring commencement ceremonies, Friday, May 10 at the Amarillo Civic Center.

The first ceremony, being held at 3 p.m., will be a celebration of graduates from AC’s Health Sciences, Industry, and Public Service communities. At 7 p.m., graduates from the remaining career communities will be honored, including Business, CIS, Creative Arts, Education, Liberal Arts, STEM and General Studies.

This year's ceremony will celebrate the completion accomplishment of 1,153 students, including 966 spring graduates eligible to participate, as well as 187 students who anticipate completing their academic requirements within the summer.

Among this year's group of graduates, 27-year-old Carlee Garrison, a business technology major, will serve as speaker at the 7 p.m. ceremony.

Garrison said she is both honored and excited to speak in front of her fellow graduates and lead by example as she encourages each graduate to "never give up" and to "Shoot for the Stars".

"I am excited to share my story with my community, to hopefully be a beacon of light, help people and inspire," Garrison said.

"I want my classmates and everyone that I interacted with to know that they do matter in our community, and that we have such a great little community and ecosystem here at AC and Amarillo that you won't find anywhere else. ... Each person graduating will go out and share their knowledge, which just makes Amarillo all the better," Garrison said.

The graduate originally traveled to Amarillo from California on a Greyhound bus as a 20-year-old mother, unsure about her future. She said she was seeking a local high-school equivalency (GED) program in 2021, when she met a fellow mother at a park who just so happened to also be an instructor at AC.

Garrison said the interaction felt like a divine intervention, and that it was that individual's encouragement and push that ignited her spark to not only earn her GED, but also continue at AC to pursue a business degree.

"One single encounter can completely change the trajectory of your life. I was a stay-at-home mom before coming to Amarillo College. I didn't really visualize more than that, and by chance, one I feel was divine, I met another mom at Medi Park who just so happened to be a GED teacher. From that one encounter, I now have a degree and career, and have given my children a better future," Garrison said.

In addition to those chance encounters, Garrison also attributes much of her success at AC in becoming involved, and she encourages others to do the same.

While at AC, Garrison has worked as a full-time administrative specialist for AC’s Adult Education and Literacy program, following her own completion. She is the founding member and president of AC's Future Billionaires Club. She became a member of Alpha Beta Gamma, the international business society, and she enrolled in a continuing education dance class, where she became a clog dancer. Today, she’s a member of a clogging group that entertains at community events, schools and nursing homes around the area -- all while juggling the life of being a wife and mother to her two young daughters.

From her first interaction to her most recent, Garrison advocates for everyone to allow themselves the opportunity to create connections and become involved.

"Getting involved was a big factor that played into my experience, and that is because it allowed me to make those connections and allowed me to have an overall better college experience. I encourage everyone, even if they are shy and sitting in the back, to try to become involved. Over time, they will become more comfortable, and then they can offer that support to others," Garrison said.

In the future, Garrison plans to begin her online quest for a bachelor’s degree in business and analytics this June through Grand Canyon University. She said that when she completes her bachelor's, she plans to continue her higher education and pursue a Masters in Business Administration.

"To my fellow students, I want to encourage you to set a reasonable and large goal for yourself and really stick to it. So many things will come up that will try to knock you down along the way, but as long as you keep your eyes on your goal, you will get there," Garrison said.

To watch Garrison make her speech or to watch the AC graduations via live stream, go online to https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/XuVmCzp4WKH43L627hJ7cC7?domain=t.e2ma.net .

To learn more about AC, visit them online at https://www.actx.edu/ .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo College set to host 2024 spring commencement ceremonies