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Northeast State celebrated the spring graduating Class of 2024 on Tuesday as the College awarded degrees and certificates to 853 students.

Northeast State awarded 12 academic certificates, 318 technical certificates, 276 associate of applied science degrees, 20 associate of arts degrees, 15 associate of science in teaching degrees, and 419 associate of science degrees.

The graduates included 73 area high school dual enrollment students. Thirty-two students completed an associate of science degree concurrently with their high school diplomas. In comparison, the remaining 41 students earned academic certificates.

“The mission of a community college is to make an impact on the communities that we serve. Graduates, we can only make that impact as a college as you do as an individual,” said Northeast State President Jeff McCord. “Be proud of what you have accomplished and where you got your start, but don’t settle. Go out into your community, the region, and the world and make something good happen. Congratulations, we’re cheering for you and can’t wait to see what you do.”

A total of 123 students graduated cum laude (grade point average, 3.50-3.74); 74 magna cum laude (grade point average, 3.75-3.89), and 91 students graduated summa cum laude (grade point average, 3.89-4.0).

Graduating students Taylor N. Cockrell, Meredith W. Eades, Trevor Eller, Leon A. Phillips, and Joseph M. Tedder served as commencement speakers. 

Cockrell is a Surgical Technology major from Johnson City; Eades is from Jonesborough and a Media and Communication major; Eller is from Johnson City and an Engineering Design major; Phillips is from Kingsport with majors in Business Administration and Accounting; and Tedder is from Kingsport with a major in chemistry.

“Not everyone can be born great or have greatness thrust upon them, but every single one of us has the ability and potential to achieve greatness,” Eller told his fellow graduates. “And so, my fellow graduates, as we go out into the world with our new degrees, whether we start a new job or continue an old one or whatever else it may be, let us go and achieve greatness in all our endeavors.”

The College conducted four ceremonies at the Ballad Center for the Performing Arts on the Blountville campus. Commencement for the Behavioral and Social Sciences and Science divisions was held at 9 a.m., followed by Health Professions at 11 a.m., Humanities and Mathematics at 1 p.m., and Technologies at 3 p.m.