MARIETTA— Washington State College of Ohio will hold its annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11 at 10 a.m. at the Marietta College Dyson Baudo Recreation Center. The honorable Judge Mark Kerenyi will serve as the commencement speaker and Che’ Venoy will deliver the student address.
Mark Kerenyi was born in England in 1966. At the age of 3, he and his family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he was among the Fox Chapel High School graduating class of 1984. He attended Slippery Rock University for two years before he decided to withdraw and enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Initially, he was trained as a machine gunner but ultimately concluded his career in the Marines in 1991 as an Operation Desert Storm scout sniper. Upon his return from Saudi Arabia, Kerenyi went back to Slippery Rock University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in 1992. After graduation, he worked briefly for the Boy Scouts of America as a district executive before enrolling at Cleveland Marshall College of Law (Cleveland State University). He graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in law in 1996 and moved to Marietta where he worked for Atkinson and Burton as an associate attorney for two years. In 1998 he made a transition in his career when he began working as a Washington County Assistant Prosecutor. He served in this capacity until 2004 when he was appointed as Magistrate of the Washington County Juvenile Court. In 2016, he ran successfully for Common Pleas Judge and took office on January 1, 2017. Judge Kerenyi has been very involved in several community organizations, including Rotary, Ely Chapman Board, Friends of the Museums Board, and Fort Harmer Rifle Club Executive Committee, and created the Compass Drug Court Recovery Program. He and his wife, Ann, reside in Marietta with their two children, Thomas and Christine.
Che’ Venoy is graduating with an associate degree in Criminal Justice Technology – Peace Officer Basic Academy. After a year of studying cardiovascular sonography at Central Ohio Technical College, she transferred to Washington State College of Ohio and enrolled in the Criminal Justice program to pursue her dreams of a career in law enforcement. She graduated from Washington State in May 2023 with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice Technology and immediately found employment with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office as a Corrections Officer. Che’ knew she would need to continue her education in order to reach her goal of becoming a Patrol Officer and then a Homicide Detective. In October 2023, she again enrolled at Washington State to complete the Peace Officer Basic Academy (POBA). Che’ has been an active member of the Criminal Justice Club, and the International Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa at Washington State and WVU-P where she is also enrolled in a bachelor’s program. As Che’ continues to further her education and law enforcement career she hopes to inspire future students who are also passionate about the criminal justice field.
