South Mountain Community College (SMCC) is proud to announce a major milestone in its history – the awarding of its first-ever Baccalaureate Degrees in Behavioral Sciences, a testament to the college's commitment to academic excellence and student success.
SMCC will celebrate the graduating Class of 2024 on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 7 p.m. at the Arizona Financial Theatre, which will be live-streamed. During the Commencement Ceremony, four students will receive their bachelor’s degrees in Behavioral Sciences. The event will feature remarks from SMCC President Dr. Richard Daniel and Marie Sullivan, a Governing Board Member of the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD). Lee Ann Bohn, MCCCD’s Chief Operating Officer, will also be in attendance to honor the graduates.
"Just as our first graduating class of four students more than forty years ago from South Mountain Community College, these four students are paving the way for the hundreds to follow in the decades to come," said South Mountain Community College President Dr. Richard Daniel.
The first cohort of bachelor’s degree recipients have demonstrated exceptional dedication and academic prowess; they are
- Taylor Janae Logan, anticipated term of completion – Spring 2024
- Noah Matthew Cook, anticipated term of completion – Summer 2024
- Diana Torres, anticipated term of completion – Summer 2024
- Marissa E. Wright, anticipated term of completion – Summer 2024.
“This marks a historic moment for the Maricopa Community Colleges,” Governing Board President Susan Bitter Smith said. “These degrees will award students endless opportunities as they head into the workforce after their educational experience,” President Bitter Smith continued. “On behalf of the Governing Board, I am extremely proud of these students and our faculty and staff for making these competitive and most affordable degrees possible for our future leaders.”
In the Fall of 2023, MCCCD launched its inaugural seven Baccalaureate Degrees Program, which addresses Arizona’s workforce shortages in high-demand industries. Since introducing the four-year degree programs, MCCCD has received overwhelming interest in all the programs, with 2,884 students enrolled in classes.
“It’s exciting to see years of work come to life as we honor South Mountain Community College’s first bachelor’s degree recipients,” said MCCCD Chancellor Dr. Steven R. Gonzales. "I am extremely proud of what we, as a system, have been able to accomplish in only a few years. From receiving authority in 2021 to launching programs last fall to witnessing our students cross the stage with their bachelor's degrees this spring, these graduates will leave an everlasting mark on Maricopa’s history.”
Established in 1980 and located in the heart of South Phoenix, SMCC offers 60 certificate and degree programs, including a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Sciences. Learn more about SMCC at www.southmountaincc.edu.