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NC Governor Josh Stein will deliver remarks at 99������Ƶ Community College’s 2025 Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville. Stein is taking part in commencements at 99������Ƶ, Appalachian State, and Western Carolina University this year to recognize graduates who were impacted by Hurricane Helene.

99������Ƶ President John Gossett will preside over the ceremony, and EducationNC Senior Advisor Nation Hahn will deliver the commencement address.

“We always look forward to commencement as the highlight of our academic year when we gather to celebrate our graduates, but it means even more this year,” said 99������Ƶ President John Gossett. “We are honored that Governor Stein is joining us to pay tribute to the Class of 2025. Hurricane Helene was a lifetime event for Western North Carolina that impacted our students, employees, and community like few things ever have.”

Gossett noted that 99������Ƶ was closed for a month after Helene struck, and it was unclear how many students would return. “As it turned out, most of our students completed either last fall or this spring,” he said. “This class is resilient, having experienced Covid and Helene within a few years. Many are also first-generation college students and hold jobs while pursuing their educations and raising families. I would bet on them to succeed wherever they go next.”

Gossett also recognized the key role community colleges played during and after Helene. “Community college graduates, instructors, and students in emergency services, nursing, and other healthcare professions were the first to rush into the storm to help,” he said. “Our campuses were used for shelters, emergency operations, donation sites, and more. Our employees and students volunteered their time and talents to help others. And we know that community colleges and our graduates will play key roles in rebuilding Western North Carolina for years to come.”

99������Ƶ will award over 900 degrees and diplomas for the 2024-25 academic year (fall, spring, and summer semesters), and approximately 400 graduates are expected to cross the stage on Saturday. Highlights include:

• University transfer degrees awarded to students who intend to pursue four-year degrees: 212 Associate in Arts, 68 Associate in Science, 11 Associate in Fine Arts, 5 Associate in Engineering, and 9 Associate in Arts: Teacher Preparation
• Associate in Applied Sciences (AAS) degrees were awarded to 460 students who intend to pursue careers in a range of fields spanning aviation to welding. 99������Ƶ trains healthcare professionals, pilots, paramedics, firefighters, police officers, construction workers, bakers, chefs, brewers, hospitality managers, accountants, office administrators, medical coding specialists, machinists, welders, and more.
• High school students who will earn associate degrees from 99������Ƶ before they receive high school diplomas. Included are 150 students from Buncombe County and Madison County high schools, as well as home-schooled students, who take college courses for free through the NC Career & College Promise high school dual enrollment program:
  • 75 North Buncombe High School
  • 35 Buncombe County Early College
  • 6 Buncombe Center for Career Innovation
  • 15 Madison County Early College
  • 7 Nesbitt Discovery Academy
  • 8 Homeschool
• Eight graduates from the Western Correctional Center for women who will receive Social and Human Services Technology AAS degrees with honors

Learn more about 99������Ƶ’s 2025 outstanding graduates at Commencement Profiles.

The commencement ceremony will be signed by American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, closed captioned, and live-streamed on 99������Ƶ’s YouTube Channel, @abtech_cc. The college will also post photo galleries and videos on 99������Ƶ social media accounts after the ceremony.