Some 138 students will receive their Associate Degrees and certificates this afternoon when Meridian Community College holds its annual summer commencement ceremonies at the Temple Theatre. The program will begin at 1 p.m.

    Among the honorees, 13 standout students will be inducted into MCC’s “Circle of Excellence” as a part of the program.

    The local community college holds three commencement programs each school year in December, May and August with the spring program having the largest number of graduates, according to Soraya Welden, MCC dean of student services. Factoring today’s summer honorees, MCC’s total number of students applying for graduation for the 2013-14 school year stands at 855.

    “This is a goodly number for a summer commencement,” said Dr. Scott Elliott, MCC president. “We are always proud to see students finish what they started in earning a degree. The reality is that, across the nation, lots and lots of students start their college journey, but for myriad different reasons, fall by the wayside. So, it’s a special thing, indeed, to achieve a college degree.”

    Elliott noted that graduating is something MCC has emphasized as a student culture in recent years with a campaign entitled, “Graduate – Start. Finish. MCC.”

    “We’ve tried to encourage real buy-in from our students on the importance of graduating,” Elliott said, “and I think our results have been pretty positive. MCC had the highest graduation rate in the state last year among all of Mississippi’s community colleges, according to the Obama Administration’s College Report Card. We were very proud of that distinction, and it takes a total team effort involving the student, faculty and support staff.”

    This year MCC is part of a statewide effort called C4 (Community College Completion Challenge) initiated by Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community college students. Phyllis Holladay, MCC math instructor and PTK advisor, is spearheading that effort on campus.

    Music for the commencement program will be performed by Tammy Miles, MCC choral director.

    Inductees in the “Circle of Excellence” are Henton Dean of Chunky; Cecily Herrington of Little Rock; Anthony McOlgan, Melissa Washburn, Cathanna Steiner and Lydia Cook of Meridian; Maggie Wingard Jackson of Butler, Ala.; Shelia Kiger of Johnson City, Texas; Nicholas Becton of Philadelphia, Tashari Ruffin of Lisman, Ala.; and Samantha McIntosh and Meagan Humphries of DeKalb.

    To be eligible for the “Circle of Excellence,” a student must be nominated by a MCC faculty member. Such criteria as academic achievement and community service are considered in the nominations.