2,000 to Graduate From Junior Colleges

More than 2,000 students from the three San Fernando Valley campuses in the Los Angeles Community College District will graduate Thursday.

Most of the students who have completed courses at Mission College in Sylmar, Pierce College in Woodland Hills and Valley College in Van Nuys are preparing to either enter the work force or continue their educations at four-year universities or colleges, officials said.

Mission College will graduate 255 students at a 6 p.m. ceremony in Veterans Memorial Park in Sylmar. Guest speaker will be Herbert Ravetch, the college’s founding president.

The outstanding alumnus speaker is David Martinsen, an executive at Boeing Co. in Seattle.

Student participants include Samatra Phillips, president of the Associated Student Organization; Cindy Roberts, salutatorian, and Sara Ivy Hernandez, valedictorian.

Graduation ceremonies at Pierce College will begin at 6 p.m. in Swisher Park in Woodland Hills. Joan MacMaster, a history instructor at Pierce since 1969, will be the guest speaker.

Stephan Blustajn will represent the student body as speaker at the ceremony, where 1,085 will graduate, including 470 who will transfer to four-year colleges.

Valley College will graduate 678 students in addition to 250 who will receive occupational certificates. Commencement will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the college stadium.

No major guest speaker has been invited to speak at Valley College’s graduation, but the student body will be represented by Dina Press and Donna Wallace.