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Southwest Tennessee Community College to hold Commencement at Renasant Convention Center May 13, 2023

For more information, contact: Diana Fedinec, Director of Public Relations and Media at (901) 333-4247 or dfedinec@southwest.tn.edu

(Memphis, Tenn.) - Southwest Tennessee Community College’s President Tracy D. Hall will confer more than 1,200 associate degrees and certificates upon the Class of 2023 at the college’s Commencement, May 13, at the Renasant Convention Center, 255 N. Main Street, in Memphis, Tenn. The ceremony starts at 9:30 a.m. (CST).
 
“At a time when students are still rebounding from the pandemic, and some may be contemplating the value of a college education, I congratulate this year’s graduates on their perseverance and determination to earn their credentials,” Southwest president Tracy D. Hall said. “These graduates have proven themselves, are job-ready and have made a valuable investment in their futures.” 
 
Leigh Mansberg, president of Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South, will deliver the keynote address. A passionate advocate for improving the lives of children, Mansberg shares the same vision and mission of the college to provide students equitable access and opportunities to grow and learn. 
 
First-generation college student and Tennessee Reconnect recipient Erika Tadeo Konig will address her fellow graduates as the student speaker. Konig was 13 years old when she immigrated from Mexico to the United States with her six siblings and parents and did not speak a word of English. On May 13, she will graduate as a top scholar with an Associate of Arts in communication. 
 
It is a Southwest tradition to bestow two awards to individuals for their commitment to excellence in teaching and leadership and commitment to the college and community, respectively. The William W. Farris Faculty Service Award will be presented to Ashley Geisewite, associate professor of business and legal studies; and the Alumnus of the Year will be awarded to Calvin L. Sanford, a 2018 graduate and CEO of his own firm, Marketality LLC. 
 
For those who cannot attend Commencement, the ceremony will be live-streamed on the college’s Facebook page at @SouthwestTN and available for on-demand viewing on its YouTube channel at Southwest Tennessee Community College. More details about Commencement may be found on Southwest’s website at www.southwest.tn.edu.