NCTA graduation May 6 is outdoor ceremony

By NCTA News

The public and Curtis community are invited to attend the Class of 2021 Graduation of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture on Thursday, May 6 at an outdoor ceremony at campus.

Nearly 50 graduates have indicated they will participate in the 1:30 p.m. ceremony which will be held on the old football field south of Ag Hall, said Jennifer McConville, NCTA associate dean.

Social distancing is encouraged. Facial masks are not required outdoors with distancing.

Attendees are encouraged to park vehicles in the large, paved lot north of the Nebraska Agriculture Industry Education Center between Siminoe and Wallace Avenues. Walking distance is one block, and hosts will have golf carts to accommodate attendees.

American Legion Post 95 of Curtis will provide the Honor Guard, and candidate for graduation, Dharian Ahrens of Yankton, S.D., will sing the National Anthem.

The Class of 2021 will be presented by NCTA Dean Larry Gossen to NU Vice President Mike Boehm for conferring the degrees.

University of Nebraska President Ted Carter will present the commencement address. Regent Bob Phares of North Platte will bring a greeting on behalf of the NU Board of Regents.

President Walter "Ted" Carter became the eighth president of the University of Nebraska on January 1, 2020. He came to Nebraska after serving as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, his alma mater.  President Carter has visited NCTA campus several times, including September 2020 for a delayed graduation reception for Class of 2020 graduates and their families.

A retired Vice Admiral with 38 years of service, Carter has logged more than 6,300 flying hours and holds the American record for carrier-arrested landing.

The native of a rural, one-high school town of Burrillville, R.I., earned his bachelor’s degree in physics and oceanography from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he played hockey and served as team captain.

He is a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and holds educational credentials from the Navy Nuclear Power School, the U.S. Air Force Air War College, the Naval War College and the Armed Forces Staff College. Carter’s military career includes service for the Carrier Strike Group Twelve, in which he commanded 20 ships, two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and two carrier wings that were deployed to Afghanistan and the Arabian Gulf.

Following the graduation exercise, attendees may congratulate the graduates in a reception at the Student Union.

A printed program will list students earning associate degrees and program certificates, as well as honor graduates and members of Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

Part of the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a two-year institution with a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology and related industries. NCTA is known for its affordable tuition, high job-placement rate for its graduates, and for the success of student teams in competitive activities including crops judging, ranch horse events, livestock judging, shotgun sports, stock dog trials, and intercollegiate rodeo. The college is consistently ranked as one of the best two-year schools in the nation.