Members of Bucks County Community College’s Class of 2025 get ready to celebrate at the 59th Annual Commencement Ceremony May 22. The public, two-year college conferred a total of 882 associate degrees and certificates during the 2024-25 academic year. (Credit: Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College)
Graduates heard from Nursing graduate Gerald Gwambuga of Sellersville, who immigrated from Uganda in 2017, leaving behind a 15-year career as a teacher
Bucks County Community College, which has been in the business of changing lives for more than 60 years, celebrated the Class of 2025 at two ceremonies Thursday, May 22, marking the college’s 59th annual commencement.
The public, two-year college conferred a total of 882 associate degrees and certificates for the 2024-2025 academic year. Hundreds of students took part in two ceremonies on the Newtown Campus, with family members, friends, faculty, and other supporters cheering them on.
At each ceremony, graduates heard from one of their own. At the 10 a.m. event, the student speaker was Chemistry major and honors graduate Kateryna Maksymenko of Warrington, who immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine at age 8. She completed a research internship on Alzheimer’s disease at the University of Pennsylvania and will transfer to the University of Pittsburgh to study neuroscience.
Kateryna Maksymenko of Warrington, who earned an associate degree in Psychology with honors, delivers the student address during the 10 a.m. commencement ceremony at Bucks County Community College on May 22. The Ukrainian-born Warrington resident completed a research internship on Alzheimer’s disease at the University of Pennsylvania and will transfer to the University of Pittsburgh to study neuroscience. (Credit: Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College)At 2 p.m., graduates heard from Nursing graduate Gerald Gwambuga of Sellersville, who emigrated from Uganda in 2017, leaving behind a 15-year career as a teacher. He will continue to change lives here in the United States as a nurse. One of his four daughters is following in his footsteps and is pursuing a nursing degree at Bucks.
Other outstanding graduates include Jacqueline Lemming-Russell of Bristol, who continued her Bucks County Community College journey after a 31-year hiatus, which she says is “proof that it’s never too late.” The Psychology major, who won the President’s Cup award for her contributions to the campus and community, graduated cum laude and is transferring to Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J., with a goal to become a behavior specialist.
Another top graduate is Adrian Tyrk of Morrisville, a Chemistry major who will transfer to Swarthmore College to study biochemistry, with an ultimate goal of attending medical school. His high achievements earned him a spot on the Pennsylvania Association for Community College’s 2025 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team.
Jacqueline Leming-Russell of Bristol receives her associate degree from Bucks County Community College President and CEO Dr. Patrick M. Jones, while Board of Trustees Chair Thomas J. Jennings looks on, during the College’s 59th Commencement Ceremony on May 22. The psychology major, who had also received the President’s Cup for her contributions to campus and the community, was among nearly 900 students that comprised the Class of 2025. (Credit: Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College)
Friends, family members, and supporters fill the Gymnasium on the Newtown Campus of Bucks County Community College for the 59th Annual Commencement May 22. The morning ceremony was followed by an afternoon celebration to accommodate nearly 900 graduates from the College’s six academic schools. (Credit: Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College)Leah Lovelace-Square also made an impact during her time at Bucks. While working full-time and raising a family, she earned an associate degree in Guided Studies, but also found time to mentor and teach underprivileged youth in Bristol and Morrisville. Such outreach earned her the College’s MLK Student Leadership Award this year.
These are just some of the Bucks County Community College graduates who are making a difference in their community and who were celebrated at the 59th annual commencement. Learn more at www.bucks.edu/student-success/
About Bucks County Community College
Founded in 1964, Bucks County Community College is a two-year, public institution offering more than 90 programs of study that lead to either an associate degree or certificate, as well as many workforce training programs on campus, on site, or online. Successful graduates directly launch a career or transfer to four-year colleges and universities to complete a bachelor’s degree, depending on the major. Classes are offered on campus in Newtown, Bristol, and Perkasie, and worldwide through Bucks Online. To learn more, visit bucks.edu.
