Wharton County Junior College held its 80th annual commencement exercises between May 7 and May 9 at the Gene Bahnsen Gymnasium on the Wharton campus. Four ceremonies were held, with 265 students participating.
WHARTON, TEXAS — Coinciding with eight decades of service to the community, Wharton County Junior College this spring held four separate graduation ceremonies at the Gene Bahnsen Gymnasium on the Wharton campus. Between May 7 and May 9, ceremonies were held for allied health graduates, associate of arts and associate of science graduates (AA/AS), technical and vocational graduates and dual credit graduates. This was the first time dual credit graduates were honored with their own ceremony.
Of the 476 graduates receiving an associate’s degree or certificate this spring, 265 elected to participate in one of the graduation ceremonies. The dual credit ceremony had 34 participants, allied health had 52, technical and vocational had 56, and the AA/AS degree ceremony had 123. Attendance was so high at the AA/AS ceremony that classrooms had to be opened in the Duson-Hansen Fine Arts Building to accommodate the crowd. The overflow crowds – as well as those unable to attend the ceremonies – were able to watch the ceremony via livestream broadcast on the college’s YouTube channel.
Guest speakers included alumnus Angela Toler, Fall 2025 graduate Tierra Highland and Spring 2026 honors graduate Karen Morales. WCJC students singled out for outstanding achievement were President’s Award winners Aidan Meek of Hungerford and Lacey Wheaton of Wharton, and Academic Excellence Award winners Brenton Beck of Iowa Colony, Manuel Galarza of Rosenberg, Macie Gardner of Blessing, Ayesha Malkani of Sugar Land, Jaxon Talbert of Bay City and Jeffery Vasquez of Richmond.
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