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22 seniors also earned AA degrees on May 10
“It behooves us to do our best to see that the standard of the average citizen is kept high; and the average cannot be kept high unless the standard of the leaders is very much higher,” Retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Donald Quinn told Pensacola State College’s Charter Academy 2024 graduates.
Quinn, the keynote speaker at the May 13 commencement exercises, included an addendum to President Theodore Roosevelt’s “Citizenship in a Republic” speech.
“You are all leaders and have a responsibility to live up to high standards,” he said to the 44 graduating seniors. The ceremony was held in the Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio on the College’s Pensacola campus.
A naval flight officer, Quinn flew missions during Operation Desert Storm, served as the commander of Naval Air Training and head of the training for the Navy’s Strike Force Atlantic. Over his 34-year Naval career, he earned the Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Star.
Quinn, who retired from his final post in 2014 as
head of the Pensacola Naval Air Station-based Naval Education and Training Command, also shared thoughts on training and education.
“Training makes education possible, and education makes training more relevant. Both are essential to personal growth,” he noted.
Also addressing the graduates were Charter Academy Valedictorian Samaara DeCent and Senior Class President Marshall Sechrist, who both acknowledged the school’s faculty.
“I am thankful to Dr. McCabe and the other faculty. Without them, none of us would be here today,” DeCent said. Sechrist urged his fellow graduates to follow their dreams. “You cannot live your life in fear. …Be not afraid to dream big! The future is bright for the Class of 2024!” he said.
Members of Charter Academy’s 2024 graduating class are Claire Baggott, magna cum laude; Janice Barnes, summa cum laude; Abigail Belliveau, summa cum laude; Ultraviolet Berry, summa cum laude; Ciara Caridi, magna cum laude; Christian Carrasco; Heather Crumpton; Georgia Davis, summa cum laude; DeCent, summa cum laude; Oceana Emerson, summa cum laude; Jacob Garcia, magna cum laude; David Gerhardt, summa cum laude; Wyatt Glass, summa cum laude; Hannah Gray, summa cum laude; Brook Gutshall, summa cum laude; Kylie Harris; Elizabeth Hart, cum laude; Jaleal Harvin, summa cum laude; Jaclynn Heigele, summa cum laude; Benjamin Hohn, magna cum laude; Byron Jackson, cum laude; Ulyesses Johnson, magna cum laude; Caitlin Jones, cum laude; Serenity Jones, summa cum laude; Joanna Keel, summa cum laude; Kyrah Marshal; Jude Mazzullo, summa cum laude; Jaden Miller, magna cum laude; Kaya Miller, cum laude; Nakia Moore, cum laude; Rafael Ojeda, cum laude; Thomas Powell, magna cum laude; Evan Pratt, magna cum laude; Porter Rankins, summa cum laude; Emily Reyes, summa cum laude; Marshall Sechrist, summa cum laude; Reid Shiver, summa cum laude; Andrew Shorey; William Slassi, Destany Stevens, summa cum laude; Judah Stotts, summa cum laude; Azucena Uvalle, summa cum laude; Saleen Waters, summa cum laude; and Emma Wells, magna cum laude;.
Seniors with a 4.0- or higher-grade point average earned summa cum laude designation and a gold cord. Students with a 3.75 to 3.99 grade point averages were magna cum laude graduates and a navy cord. Cum laude graduates had a 3.5- to 3.74-grade point average and wore a light blue cord.
Barnes, Belliveau, Davis, DeCent, Garcia, Gerhardt, Glass, Gutshall, Heigele, Johnson, Serenity Jones, Keel, Moore, Ojeda, Powell, Rankins, Reyes, Sechrist, Shriver, Stevens, Stotts and Waters also earned Associate in Arts degrees from Pensacola State College on May 10.