Belmont Technical College Commencement Ceremonies Held

Belmont Technical College Commencement Ceremonies Held
Over 300 students earn their degrees from Belmont.
St. Clairsville, OH (June 10, 2011) – Officials at Belmont Technical College (BTC) conferred degrees
upon 315 students as part of the College‟s 2011 graduation ceremony in St. Clairsville, Ohio. Hundreds of
parents, extended family, faculty and staff were present to congratulate the Class of 2011 during recent
ceremonies held in Horizon Hall on the Belmont campus.
The Class of 2011 had two valedictorians: Dorothy Bowman of St. Clairsville, Ohio, who received her
degree in Radiologic Technology, and Michele Skolmutch of Big Prairie, Ohio, who received her degree
in Information Services: Library Communications.
The class salutatorian, Traci Walton of Salesville, Ohio earned her degree in Business Administration &
Leadership.
“Although this is my 13 th graduation here at Belmont, after all of these years I am still amazed by the
students who make sacrifices in order to better themselves and their families. Plans and goals may
change over time, but our students‟ determination to succeed is constant,” said Belmont President, Dr.
Joseph E. Bukowski. “These graduates have now become lifelong members of our Belmont family. I
wish them nothing but success and prosperity as they begin a new chapter in their lives.”
Graduation was a family affair for the Ostrander family of Shadyside, Ohio. Graduating with the Belmont
class of 2011 was Blanche Ostrander and her two daughters, Kim Crum and Mary Ostrander. Blanche
graduated with a certificate in Medical Coding & Billing from Belmont. She is retired from Wheeling
Pittsburgh Steel after 30 years of service where she worked as a Senior Information Engineer. She is
currently laid-off after nine years working for Touchstone Research Laboratory. “Since I had the time
off, I decided to join my two daughters at Belmont mainly to have something to do,” she said. “I‟ve
enjoyed my classes so much, that I‟m considering coming back to Belmont in the Fall to begin working
on the Medical Transcription certificate.”
Blanche‟s daughter Kim, a 41 year old former stay-at-home mother, graduated with a degree in Associate
Degree Nursing (ADN) from Belmont and has a goal to become a nurse in an emergency room or labor
and delivery. Kim, who served as ADN class president, plans to continue her education and receive her
Bachelor‟s Degree in Nursing. “Graduating from Belmont and receiving my diploma was my ultimate
goal,” said Kim. “I have two children, Michael is 7 and Madeleine is 5. They encouraged and supported
me in the achievement of my degree and I couldn‟t have done it without them. They have earned this
degree as much as I have.”
Blanche‟s other daughter Mary, age 28, graduated with a degree in Accounting and a certificate in
General Bookkeeping. “I began taking classes at Belmont in the Summer of 2007 after losing my job,”
said Mary. “I had been out of high school and working for so many years that the thought of going to a
large university was overwhelming. After losing my job, I decided to enroll at Belmont and it was the
best choice that I could have made as a non-traditional student.” Mary plans to attend Franklin University

and receive her Bachelor‟s Degree in Accounting. The Ostrander family also has another family member,
Paul Ostrander, who is currently majoring in Computer Science at Belmont.
Graduate John Borkoski from Morristown, Ohio was one of 57 Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
recipients to graduate this year. Part of WIA‟s purpose is to help individual workers succeed through
effective learning, the development of new skills, and assistance locating accessible jobs after completion
of a degree.
Borkoski, age 53 formally worked as a millwright and machinist for Severstal Wheeling, now known as
RG Steel LLC, before being laid-off. He majored in Industrial Electronic Engineering at Belmont and
hopes to find a job with his newly earned credentials.
“With the loss of my job I was offered the opportunity to further my education. I was concerned that my
study skills would be rusty, but I found my time at Belmont to be very enjoyable, though at times
challenging. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of my teachers and the staff at Belmont for
helping me to succeed.” Borkoski hopes to find a job in the coal or utility industry as a supervisor.
Mental Health major Jennifer Armstrong from Cambridge, Ohio worked hard to achieve her higher
education goals. She took the Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) course during her first quarter
at Belmont and is so thankful that she did. “The ABLE instructors were so helpful and the class was a
great refresher course that allowed me to place in a higher math class.” Armstrong plans to continue her
education this fall at Ohio University; she wants to get her Bachelor‟s Degree in Social Work and then
work towards her Master‟s Degree in Social Work and Counseling.
Graduates from the following programs walked at the commencement ceremony held on Thursday, June
9, 2011: Associate Degree Nursing; Child Development; Emergency Medical Services;
Firefighter/Paramedic; Medical Assisting; Medical Coding; Medical Transcriptionist; Mental Health;
Practical Nursing; and Radiologic Technology.
Mr. George Couch, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ohio Valley Medical Center and East
Ohio Regional Hospital, addressed the Thursday evening graduates. Mr. Couch received his B.A. from
Bethany College in 1979 and his M.B.A. from West Virginia University in 2002. He is a Fellow of the
American College of Health Care Executives and a licensed nursing home administrator.
Graduates from the following programs walked at the commencement ceremony held on Friday, June 10,
2011: Associate of Arts; Associate of Science; Accounting; Bookkeeping; Building Preservation and
Restoration; Business Management; Civil Engineering; Criminal Justice; Cyber Security; Data
Processing; HVAC; Industrial Electronics; IT Programs; Legal Office; Library; Office Administration;
Office Clerk Specialist; OUE Joint Degrees; Power Plant Technology; Real Estate; Small Business;
Tooling & Machining; and Welding.
Mr. Charles George, Plant Manager at American Electric Power‟s (AEP) Cardinal Plant in Brilliant, Ohio
addressed the Friday evening graduates. Mr. George holds an Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering
Technology from Jefferson Technical College, a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science from the
University of Steubenville, a Master‟s Degree in Engineering Management from Ohio University, and he
has completed The Ohio State University Fisher School of Business Management Development program.
Other end-of-the-year activities included a Nursing Pinning Ceremony and a Student Awards
Banquet. During the pinning ceremony newly graduated nurses are welcomed into the profession by their
families and Belmont faculty, and receive their unique BTC School of Nursing commemorative pin. This
event took place on Wednesday evening for the 18 Practical Nursing (PN) and 55 Associate Degree
Nursing (ADN) graduates.

2011 ADN graduate Paul Ferguson from Jerusalem, Ohio is a 65 year old retiree from AT&T/Ohio Bell
Telephone Company/Ameritech. “I was out of school for 34 years before I decided to enroll at Belmont,”
he said. “My higher-education experience has exposed me to a group of highly dedicated, wonderful,
hardworking educators and has allowed me to share a little piece of my life with an incredibly motivated
group of students. Together we experienced some very intense pressures and formed bonds that will
never be forgotten. The memories I carry away from my time at Belmont include words like „great‟ and
„wonderful‟.” Ferguson has five children, two of which are Registered Nurses, and one who is in graduate
school working toward his doctorate; in addition, he also has seven grandchildren.
The College Awards Banquet was held on June 3 and the following students were recognized:
Academic Excellence Awards: Stacy Baker; Kevin Ball; Jeanette Nicole Baughman; Dorothea
Blon-Reineke; Samantha Brown; Connie Burke; Amanda Bushlow; Brittany Carman; Brianne
Clark; Nancy DeLong; Kelly DeNoon; Paul Ferguson; Bobbi Jo Finney; Victoria Fogle; Kyle
Jones; Erica Kenney; Heidi Kins; John Lewis; John Lovette Jr.; Charity Lucious; Stephen
Mihopulos; Bruce Riley; Kaleb Rush; Pamela Smith; Carson Spence; Pam Sulek; Rebekha
Thorne; Christina Wilson; Nicole Wilson; Terri Zeigler; Douglas Zuboski.
Student Services and Leadership Awards: Connie Ankrom; Taylor Bendetta; Waylon Bennett;
Alexia Bost; Pamela Chabak; Brittany Clemens; Joe Dick; Joshua Doty; Danielle Ferrell; Jarrett
Fuchs; Blake Gerstenslager; Nathan Howells; Tabitha Johnson; James Kessler; Cody McKeever;
Tony Minyo; Melinda Oliver; Mary Ostrander; Nellie Perkins; Amanda Polomik; Amber
Satterfield; Aaron Schultz; Jeff Voytko; Leah Webb; Nicole Wilson.
All-Ohio Academic Team: Robert Becker; Margaret Jeffers.
From left to right: 2011 Belmont Graduates: Daughter, Kim Crumb; Mother, Blanche Ostrander; and
Daughter, Mary Ostrander