August 24, 2012 – Loring Job Corps Center Graduation & Commencement Day celebrated the success of the students!

On Friday starting at 1:00pm Graduation Ceremonies were held, Loring Job Corps Center had 112 students that qualified to graduate at this summer graduation. Not all the graduates were able to attend the ceremony as they are working and some reside a great distance from Loring.  Students that marched were proud of their accomplishments and ready to begin their careers and future. Recent Job Corps graduates, employer partners, local policymakers, community leaders, family members, and many more recognized these students’ achievements and the investment they made in their futures and our community.

 To congratulate Loring Job Corps students; Senator Collins State Office Representative, Philip Bosse attended and read a letter from Senator Collins addressing the student’s accomplishments. Also, letters were provided and read by the Center Director, Kristie Moir sent directly from Senator Snowe and Congressman Michaud supporting our new graduates and celebrating their achievements.

 Keynote speaker was Kathy Mazzuchelli, Superintendent of the City of Caribou Wellness, Parks & Recreation Department program and has served youth for over 35 years. During her presentation she handed all graduates a mirror and stated, “I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND REMEMBER, THAT THERE ARE MANY OBSTACLES THAT WILL GET IN YOUR WAY, MANY PEOPLE THAT WILL TRY TO INFLUENCE YOU, SOME NEGATIVELY, SOME POSITIVELY, BUT YOU….. AND ONLY YOU WRITE YOUR OWN LIFE STORY…MAKE POSITIVE CHOICES……..DON’T BE SET BACK BY YOUR MISTAKES….THOMAS EDISON FAILED THOUSANDS OF TIMES BEFORE HE CREATED THE ELECTRIC LIGHT!”

 Guest speakers also included current Northern Maine Community College LJCC attendee Myasia Williams and the graduation class selected speaker Joseph Huff-Brown that read a self composed poem for the event.

 On this day Loring Job Corps joined the 125 Job Corps centers across the country to celebrate and combine the Graduation ceremonies along with the second annual “National Job Corps Commencement Day” ceremony held on August 24th to congratulate the Job Corps students who showed Job Corps works by completing the program this year.