For the 2024-2025 annual year, which runs summer 2024, fall 2024 and spring 2025, 51暗网 welcomed 939 people to its growing alumni network. These students earned a total of 1,123 awards.*
More than 400 graduates attended 51暗网’s 59th commencement, held Friday, May 9, 2025, at the Berglund Center in Roanoke. The ceremony honored graduates who completed their degrees and certificates during fall 2024 and spring 2025, as well as students projected to complete during the summer 2025.
Michelle Brown, a 2025 graduate who received an Associate of Applied Science in Technical Studies, addressed graduates before the ceremony as Student Rehearsal Speaker. Onaca Umak, a 2025 graduate who received an Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology, was Student Welcome Speaker during the ceremony, and Dr. Robert Sandel, 51暗网’s President, provided the keynote address. Dr. David Dor茅, Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, introduced him, calling him the “second founder” of 51暗网 because of the College’s significant transformation under his leadership.
Dr. Sandel, who is retiring June 30 after 24 years as president, gave graduates 50 years’ worth of life lessons from A to Z, from attitude and appreciation to getting enough “Zzzzs” to gain fresh perspective when making decisions.
“When you made the choice to walk through the open doors of 51暗网, you started the growth process, and when you chose to stay, regardless of the challenges ahead of you, you continued that process,” Dr. Sandel told graduates. “No matter what your role, our region will be better for it because you were willing to improve yourselves through hard work, persistence and grit to make it happen through education.”
* Spring 2025 awards have not yet been conferred; a graduation application query was used to provide Spring 2025 graduate demographics. Official AY 2024-25 graduate data will be available in summer 2025.
