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by Tom Coombe
Before they went their separate ways, graduates at Vermilion got a primer on “paddling down the river of life.”
Ely’s proximity to the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness meshed with the commencement address delivered by Jessica Holmes Wednesday night on the Vermilion campus of Minnesota North College.
Holmes, who walked Vermilion’s halls as a student two decades ago, is now an area wildlife manager and natural resources pilot for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
She shared her own experiences with the roughly 100 graduates who took part in the commencement ceremony, as well as friends, family member and college staff who filled the Vermilion gymnasium.
Holmes compared her journey and the journeys taken by this year’s graduates to a Boundary Waters canoe trip and said students “will plan, paddle, traverse rapids and end the trip at their destination.”
“What does your destination campsite look like?” Holmes asked the graduates “It may take five, 10, 20 years to figure that out and that’s OK.”
And similar to a trip into the wilderness, Holmes describe a college journey that “starts with planning and preparation” and “where are we going to go and do we have the appropriate gear” noting college essentials such as books, financial aid and housing.
Describing her own love for the outdoors, Holmes said “for me, the Vermilion campus was an easy choice to pick.”
“It seems like yesterday I was being taught by some of the greats of this college - Lori Schmidt, Pete Doran, Bill Tefft,” said Holmes.
Holmes remembered her first flight to radio collar wolves and obtaining a wildlife management degree while also encountering challenges that she compared to canoe portages.
“We don’t have to carry all of this load by ourselves,” said Holmes. “We receive the help of friends and family to lighten the load. Your portage will not look like mine, however I would encourage you to lean on friends while making the journey.”
She also challenged graduates to think outside the box “to take that job in Costa Rica, take the specialist position chasing elk in the Rocky Mountains. Don’t forget to live life to the fullest.”
Holmes’ address followed recent Vermilion tradition of inviting a graduate back to share their experiences at and beyond the campus.
Student Senate President Dylan Helman spoke on behalf of the class, recalling his time on campus and regaling his classmates for choosing Vermilion, choosing to come back and completing the work needed to obtain their degrees.
“I know one thing for a fact, you see people change and develop,” Helman said of the class. “We fight through adversity like no other. This school fights all sorts of battles and never gives up.”
Mike Raich, president of Minnesota North College, also addressed the class and cited statistics showing that roughly 40 percent of Americans and only seven percent of people worldwide obtain college degrees.
“That’s proof positive that getting a college degree is not a trivial endeavor,” said Raich. “It’s an accomplishment you have earned by taking risks, investing time and money, working hard, navigating barriers and being persistent.”
Vermilion recognized 142 students who earned associate in arts, science or applied science degrees.
Another 80 have earned certificates marking graduation from one of the school’s degree programs.
