May 21, 2017

As the soon-to-be graduates of Three Rivers College filed into the Black River Coliseum for the 49th annual commencement ceremony Friday evening, a sense of pride, accomplishment and excitement filled the air. Graduation candidates of all ages and nationalities slowly filled the rows of chairs lined before the stage, some of them just two years out of high school, others who have been out for 52 years...

As the soon-to-be graduates of Three Rivers College filed into the Black River Coliseum for the 49th annual commencement ceremony Friday evening, a sense of pride, accomplishment and excitement filled the air.

Graduation candidates of all ages and nationalities slowly filled the rows of chairs lined before the stage, some of them just two years out of high school, others who have been out for 52 years.

"Education is the key to a better quality of life," TRC Board of Trustees Chairman Eric Schalk said. "Education is the key to better lives for students, for their families and for the communities from which they come."

Carried throughout TRC's commencement ceremony was the theme of family, as the 2017 Distinguished Alumni and keynote speaker Stan Berry addressed the room with a personal anecdote about the importance of strength and determination, which he learned from his mother.

Berry, who is the editor of the Daily American Republic, said he grew up "kinda poor," after losing his dad when he was a sophomore in high school. He said he watched his mother take on a full-time job while raising two boys who were "a little rambunctious."

Berry recalled the leaky basement his family lived in, and how on rainy nights he and his brother would sleep, warm in their beds, while his mother worked hard sweeping out the water in an effort to keep their home dry.

"We'd offer to help, but she'd refuse, saying 'tomorrow is a school day and you kids need your rest.' The next morning she'd send us trooping off to school with a warm breakfast in our bellies and then she'd go to the garment factory to spend eight hours doing piecework on a sewing machine. I don't know where she got the strength," Berry said.

In an effort to personally connect with each graduate, Berry pointed out the parallels represented in his story to the stories of each person seated in front of him.

Whether he was speaking to the boys who had chosen TRC to stay close-by for their families, or to the working mothers who maintained passing grades while raising their kids and keeping food on the tables, his story resonated with the entire room.

Three Rivers College prides itself on the options it provides to traditional and non-traditional students alike, said TRC President Dr. Wesley Payne, and families such as the Coleman/Heaton clan are a shining representation of that notion.

Shelby Coleman graduated Friday, along with her husband, Cody, her brothers Casey and Michael Heaton and her sister-in-law Rhonda Heaton.

"We didn't plan this," Shelby said. "It just kind of happened."

Shelby and her family are following in her mother's footsteps. Pam Heaton graduated from TRC in 1989.

"My mom's a teacher and my brother Casey's wife is a teacher," Shelby said. "We're going to be a big family full of teachers."

Aside from merely just a unique family affair, Friday was also a big night for Cody, who is the first person in his family to earn a college degree.

"My mom is really proud of me," Cody said.

Shelby said there were both pros and cons to going to school with her siblings.

"Being in the same class was awful," she said. "My oldest brother Michael is a total of 12 years older than me, so having him in class as my older brother and my lab partner was awful.

"The other day we were in class and I was filling up a tube with water and he told me I was doing it wrong... how do you even do that wrong," Shelby added with a laugh.

Aside from bickering lab partners, Shelby and her family were also teammates.

"It was really nice because if one of us had a question or needed help with a project, another one of us had already done it," Shelby said.

Each family member has a plan to pursue their bachelor's degree after TRC. While Shelby, Cody, Michael and Rhonda will all be attending Southeast Missouri State University, Casey is branching out on his own to study at Hannibal-LaGrange University.

Nearly 600 folks received at least one college degree Friday night, because almost 1,000 degrees were given out. About 350 people shook Payne's hand as they walked across the stage to collect such a small piece of paper that is such a big key to their future.

"And believe me, that degree will open doors for you," Berry said, "but once you step through that door, what happens next is all up to you."

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