719 Awards to be Presented During Commencement Ceremonies May 7
Lee College will celebrate an estimated 719 graduates during a series of commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 7. The seven ceremonies at the Lee College Performing Arts Center will begin at 9 a.m.; the last ceremony starts at 4:30 p.m.
"We want to give everyone in our community the opportunity to celebrate our graduating students," said Carl Husband, Lee College registrar. "By holding the event at the Performing Arts Center, we will provide our graduates and their guests smaller ceremonies in an intimate setting."
The complete schedule of events can be found on the Lee College graduation page. Those who cannot attend the ceremonies in person can watch the celebrations via Live Stream or on the Lee College Facebook page.
Spring 2022 by the Numbers:
- 306 Academic degrees (AA, AS, AAT)
- 169 Technical degrees (AAS)
- 244 Certificates
- 719 total* — 198 of total are Dual Credit/Early College students
*Spring numbers are subject to change
Among the estimated 719 students graduating this spring, four are exceptionally bright stars at Lee College. Each of these individuals have proved that nothing stands in the way of achieving their dreams.
FRANK GOROM, AAS, Process Technology
When COVID-19 began, Frank Gorom's position as a site superintendent for Chevron in Cedar Bayou came to a sudden halt. After 15 years working as a contractor in the oil and gas industry, he suddenly found himself out a job.
"The pandemic wasn't exactly the best market in which to be looking for work, so I told myself, 'You are not going to be idle with your time.' That's when I began considering going back to school," he said.
Shortly after getting laid off, however, life dealt Gorom another weighted blow. His older brother passed away unexpectedly. These major events are difficult for anyone to handle, but it compelled Gorom to re-assess his life.
"It made me re-position my priorities," Gorom explained. "I used to have to travel and be gone quite a bit in my career, and that's not what I wanted anymore. My brother's death was a catalyst to this mindset and helped me realize how incredibly important family and being a father are to me."
Seeing education as the best path towards his goals, Gorom joined Lee College in Spring 2021. These days Gorom is grateful for his choice. Not only is he able to spend more time with his 13-year-old son, but he will also graduate Lee with a 4.0 GPA, an Associate of Applied Science in Process Technology and as one of the college's Presidential Honors Day awardees.
As for what's next, the Texas City native is interviewing for jobs.
"My degree from Lee College has helped me broaden my abilities to go into the field of process operations."
But Gorom admits he has "the itch to continue his education" — and is considering pursuing a bachelor's degree in organizational management.
ADAM KINDER, AA, General Studies
Adam Kinder considers himself a "combative kind of guy," but mostly when he's presenting his case or issuing a rebuttal on the debate floor.
As an IMPACT Early College High School student, Kinder joined the Mendoza Debate Society at Lee College because he "likes talking to interesting people."
Fast forward a few years and Kinder is getting ready to graduate with his high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree from Lee — leaving a legacy as a debate team captain, who recently led the team to clinch a pair of International Public Debate Association (IPDA) National Community College Championships.
"Despite having some of the youngest debaters in the nation, we were able to prove to the nearly two-hundred programs nationwide that community colleges can stand toe to toe with anyone in this country," he proudly shared.
In addition to being on the debate team at Lee, Kinder co-founded Impact Youth and Government at IMPACT, a club dedicated to helping kids develop their argumentation skills in order to compete in statewide mock trials and congress conferences.
No doubt Kinder will put his public speaking talents to use as he heads to Columbia University in the fall. He plans to study political science with a focus on international affairs and aspires to become a lawyer. Kinder adds his exposure to college life at Lee prepared him well to take this next step in his educational journey.
"I see it as an introductory lesson in what it's like to manage your time as a college student," he said. "I am also grateful to have been in the Honors program where I had access to courses that were actively challenging with huge workloads. It was insightful and rewarding."
ABRIANNA MULLIN, AA, General Studies
Abrianna Mullin learned the art of perseverance from two very strong women: her mother and grandmother.
"My grandmother came from Mexico where she was a janitor. She knows how to work hard and get down to the dirty business," explained the IMPACT Early College High School student. "My mom became a single mother when my dad went to prison, so my siblings and I took on a lot of responsibility. That shaped me into the person I am today."
The person Mullin is today, is a true success story. A recipient of the Presidential Honors Day award for philosophy, Mullin will graduate with her Associate of Arts degree on Saturday– just a few weeks before she receives her high school diploma.
Armed with those degrees, Mullin will head to Yale University in the fall, on a full-ride scholarship. She plans to study philosophy, a subject she fell in love with at Lee College and looks forward to getting involved with Yale's world-renowned social justice programs.
"I really enjoy social activism and would eventually like to go to law school to become a human rights lawyer so I can help with prison reform," the Baytown resident shared. "The university has this one cause specifically for prisoners, which is a cause that's close to my heart.
ALYSSA YSQUIERDO, AAS, Nursing
Alyssa Ysquierdo will never forget the moment she decided to become a nurse. It was right after she gave birth to her first child.
"My son was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and seeing how the nurses cared for my baby made me want to do that for other people," she recalled with fondness. "My nurses also took very good care of me. They were so encouraging and cheered me on through what was a very frightening time."
One year later, she gave birth to a second child, a girl — just months before she started at Lee College. Throughout her time at Lee, she says her instructors were very supportive — emotionally and financially — as she is a single mother with two young children.
"The instructors make or break your experience at a college. They always had my back when I needed them the most."
A recipient of the Presidential Honors Day award for nursing, Ysquierdo will attend the nursing pinning ceremony on Thursday, May 5, with about 20 family members and close friends cheering her on.
She'll then begin her career as a registered nurse in the Baytown Methodist ER and plans to attend the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing in the fall for her bachelor's degree.
A life-long Baytonian, Ysquierdo is excited about being able to serve her community any way she can.
"As a nurse, it's up to us to be able to know what to do next in an emergency, and I am looking forward to learning and giving back."