Muskegon Community College 2021 Commencement Main Campus May 5, 2021 DRIVE-THROUGH COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY May 5, 2021 Muskegon Community College Main Campus With restrictions in place to contain the coronavirus, the Muskegon Community College community has devoted months to planning this alternative and safe 2021 Commencement ceremony for its deserving graduates. The automotive procession of graduates, some joined in their vehicles by family and friends, begins in the Stevenson Center parking lot. One by one, the vehicles leave the festive atmosphere, turn right along Quarterline Road and enter the main parking lot. There, the cavalcade slowly passes by cheering MCC faculty, who flank the vehicles. They applaud their former students and offer encouragement as the College’s newest alumni enter the next chapter of their lives. When each vehicle approaches the building’s main entrance area, the graduate exits and walks toward a Commencement stage erected in the parking lot. Flashing cameras, a social media live steam and videotaping capture for posterity the graduates receiving their diplomas. The evening’s formalities began on stage with celebratory remarks by MCC President Dale K. Nesbary and MCC Board of Trustees Chair Diana Osborn, which will be added to those offered by the two MCC Alumni Award recipients and become part of the commemorative video. Present to hear every graduate’s name being read aloud are members of the Muskegon Community College Board of Trustees and the MCC Administration, donned in their formal regalia. The graduate descends from the stage, diploma in hand, and returns to the vehicle. They depart from the MCC campus with the formal recognition of having achieved an important milestone in their lives. Board of Trustees: w Diana Osborn, Chair w Sean Mullally, Vice-Chair w Nancy Frye, Secretary w Kathy Moore, Treasurer w Donald Crandall, MD, Trustee w Shon Cook, Trustee w Roy Portenga, Trustee DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD Roy J. Portenga Roy J. Portenga ‘73, an accomplished local attorney who has devoted countless hours as a leader and member of civic and educational organizations in Muskegon, will receive the Muskegon Community College 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award. The highest honor that Muskegon Community College bestows upon an outstanding graduate, the award salutes the achievements of exceptional alumni whose personal lives, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the goals of their alma mater. In June 2020, Portenga received the highest accolade awarded by State Bar of Michigan Worker’s Compensation Section with induction into its Hall of Fame. Each year, the Sec- tion honors one plaintiff’s attorney and one defense attorney. Portenga, who started prac- ticing worker’s compensation in the Muskegon/Holland area in 1981, has published national and statewide articles on the subject. He was a long-time partner in the firm Libner, Van Leuven, Kortering, Evans and Portenga until it dissolved. Portenga continues to practice part-time as Roy J. Portenga, PLC. The Muskegon native attended MCC from 1971 to 1973 and graduated with an associate degree. He earned a bachelor’s degree with high distinction from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University. “While U of M and Valparaiso were great schools, I can say without a doubt that I received my best education from MCC,” noted Portenga, citing his former instructors Kasey Hartz, James Kane, Jack Rice, and Doris Rucks among the exemplary faculty he encountered at MCC. “These were top-notch teachers who loved what they taught and cared for their students. Most importantly, these teach- ers exhibited an enthusiasm for learning, good citizenship, conscientious involvement, in short, an enthusiasm for respon- sible living, that students like me couldn’t help but catch.” “MCC also gave me confidence. After high school, I really didn’t know what I was going to do. With the good, caring, en- thusiastic instruction I received at MCC, I soon realized I could succeed. That confidence helped push me through the hard times at U of M, Valparaiso, jobs, and life in general. MCC was a godsend for me.” Portenga has dedicated his life to serving others by choosing to represent the injured and disabled during hard times in their lives. A Fellow in the Michigan State Bar Association, he has been named a Leading Lawyer annually since 2013 by the Leading Lawyers Network in the areas of Workers’ Compensation and Social Security Disability. He has been rated AV Preeminent – the highest rating given in the areas of integrity and skill – by Martindale Hubbell. A past president of the Muskegon County Bar Association, Portenga has authored several legal publications and has been an invited speaker at legal and other professional conferences. In Muskegon, he is the former president of the First Congregational Church and a current board member of the Jefferson Towers Senior Complex. He is past member of the Westshore Dispute Resolution Center. Before attending law school, Portenga taught at the Muskegon Correctional Facility and the Michigan Reformatory in Ionia. His lifelong love of education includes his service to Muskegon Community College. A current elected member of the MCC Board of Trustees, he also is a past president of the Alumni Association Board and served on the Foundation for MCC Board of Directors. He and his wife, Brita Bujak Portenga, reside in North Muskegon. They perform in a local band, Legal Rehab, that often volunteers at events in support of non-profit organizations. ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Dr. Mayra Sánchez González Dr. Mayra Sánchez González ’10, a clinical psychologist and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation faculty member at the prestigious Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, will receive the 2020 Alumni Achievement Award. Established in 2017, the award recognizes extraordinary professional achievement by an MCC graduate from the past 15 years. The recipient is selected by the MCC Alumni Relations Committee. Born in Mexico, Sánchez González emigrated with her parents and three siblings to the U.S. “I did not speak English, nor did I or my family understand the educational system under which this country operates,” she recounted. “See, my father did not attain any formal education and my mother had a fifth grade education, but their commitment to help me achieve my educational goals was unwavering and transcended any financial, emotional and systemic barriers.” Despite overcoming the language barrier and achieving honor roll status throughout high school, Sánchez González admit- tedly received little encouragement from counselors to pursue higher education. She applied and was accepted to MCC and to a four-year university. “I remember sitting down at the dinner table, opening my acceptance letters and realizing that there would be no way we could afford a four-year institution,” Sánchez González recalled. “Unfortunately, my story is not unique to me. Many indi- viduals from historically underrepresented backgrounds are discouraged or not encouraged to pursue higher education. If two-year institutions were not available, individuals like me would not even get a fighting chance to accomplish their educational vision.” “As an immigrant and a first-generation college student, MCC offered me a pathway towards achieving my goals. MCC not only made college a more affordable option, but it also served as the platform to build my self-efficacy through invaluable experiences that continue to impact my life to this day.” Her induction into Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society at MCC allowed Sánchez González to achieve a number of firsts: attendance at a professional conference, opportunities to engage in community service, travel to a distant location without her family, and discover the important role a mentor can play in one’s life. “Kelley Conrad, my PTK advisor at that time, showed me the meaning of that word through her support and investment in my career goals,” said Sánchez González. “Perhaps for some people, my aforementioned experiences may seem silly or insignificant, but I can assure you that for someone with my background those experiences are life changing,” she continued. “Thanks to MCC’s community and their commitment to MCC’s mission, I gained invaluable experiences and skills that have shaped my academic path.” After graduating from MCC, Sánchez González earned a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University. She earned both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Texas A&M University. In September 2018, Sánchez González gained admittance to a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Rehabilitation Psychology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and, last November, joined the faculty as a clinical psychologist working with patients and families to manage physical, cognitive, behavioral and emotional problems related to living with or recovering from an injury or illness. “Many people have asked me why I continue to keep my community college experience in my Curriculum Vitae to which I always respond, because it tells part of my story, a story that I am deeply proud to share,” concluded Sánchez González. Amanda Lynn Schaab* ΦΘΚ Kristen Janiece Perry 2020 Summer Mary Elizabeth Schoonover* ΦΘΚ Kelli Serene Rebone Alexia H Sidock Kristen Leeann Rodriguez Graduates Julian Silva* Kyah Smith ASSOCIATE IN MikayLa Ann Singletary* ΦΘΚ Taylor Renee Snellenberger* SCIENCE AND ARTS Haley Elizabeth Slorf Taylor Nicole Tejchma Te’Ajah LaShae Smith Susan