MARIETTA, OHIO— Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) conferred associate degrees and certificates to 392 graduates during its 50th annual commencement ceremony on May 13, 2023.
The commencement address was given by the President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Peoples Bancorp Inc. and Peoples Bank Chuck Sulerzyski. He offered his six elements for a complete and happy life: physical, financial, mental, spiritual, community, and family.
“I wish you all the joy and happiness along your journey,” Sulerzyski said. “You’ll get there if you put it in bitesize chunks. Think about the daily disciplines, the monthly disciplines, the weekly commitments, the monthly commitments. String a couple days together have a great week. A couple weeks become a great month and you’ll become unstoppable.”
In the address to his fellow students, Business Management graduate Mackenzie “Mack” Smith acknowledged that enrolling in college as an adult learner had its benefits and drawbacks. “These experiences don’t make it better or worse than anyone else’s path to this destination. It’s just a different one,” stated Smith. “We should be embracing those differences. We should be learning from each other and the things that make us unique individuals…If college has taught us anything, shouldn’t it be that learning is a beautiful thing?”
The class of 2023 included 42 College Credit Plus high school students, 99 students graduating with honors, and 10 Veterans. In total, WSCO awarded 294 associate degrees and 238 certificates.
