Congratulations, Graduates! Celebrate Commencement with us May 3

May 2026 Commencement student speaker
Edwinson Jorge Jimenez

Kalamazoo Valley Community College will celebrate its 94th commencement ceremony Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m. at Western Michigan University's Miller Auditorium, located at 2200 Auditorium Drive in Kalamazoo.

Board Chairperson Lucinda Stinson will speak along with wellness and physical education instructor Robert Vezeau and student speaker Edwinson Jorge Jimenez, who is graduating with an associate of arts in general studies.

Jorge Jimenez was inducted into the college's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, and is also graduating from the Kalamazoo Valley Accelerated Associate program, also known as KVAAP.

"I'm graduating with a general studies degree, but I focused my electives on business because of my experience working in hospitality and my interest in leadership and operations," Jorge Jimenez says. "I'm also completing a certificate in international studies, which reflects my interest in global perspectives."

The 34-year-old Dominican Republic native plans to continue his education at the University of Albany and enroll in a combined bachelor's and master's degree program in pursuit of degrees in Latin American, Caribbean and U.S. Latino Studies. Jorge Jimenez says he chose the area of study because of its alignment with his career aspirations.

"It gives me a strong cultural perspective that I can apply directly to hospitality, especially in leadership roles, where understanding diverse teams and international guests makes a real difference," he says.

Jorge Jimenez's short-term career goals are to focus on building experience through his leadership role with a Marriott Hotel branch. Long-term, his aspirations are to continue growing into higher-level management positions within the industry. He also says that having the flexibility to work internationally is important, as he hopes to one day continue his profession in the Dominican Republic.

Jorge Jimenez says that the supportive community he found at the college has been an instrumental part of ensuring his academic success. "The support from professors and the flexibility of the programs made a big difference for me," he says.

He also says that KVAAP played an important role by providing the academic guidance and structure needed to balance his work life with his educational goals. "Having that kind of support helped me stay on track and finish strong."

Jorge Jimenez has been steadily developing his career throughout his time at Kalamazoo Valley. He says that balancing full-time work with his academic endeavors has been a rewarding challenge. "It wasn't always easy, but I learned how to manage my time and stay focused on my goals," he says. "My advice is to stay disciplined and remember why you started, even when things get difficult."

Guests without tickets to commencement may view the livestreamed ceremony via Public Media Network (more details to come). It will also stream online at publicmedianet.org as well as its Roku, Apple TV and Firestick apps.