Learning Center graduates make their mark

Keith Rowher didn’t want his speech Thursday night to the graduates of the Fremont Learning Center to be considered an address.

So Rowher took the chance to read to the students, their friends and family members.

Rowher, an assistant professor of education and the teacher education program coordinator at Midland Lutheran College, was the featured speaker at Thursday night’s ceremony at the Main Street Education and Administration Center.

Rowher read excerpts from the book “The Fred

Factor,” which focuses on the relationship between a man and his postal carrier.

The book also showed that ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things, something Rowher wanted to make sure he conveyed to the audience.

“Whatever you decide to do, every one of you can be a Fred,” Rowher said.

Fremont Public Schools superintendent Steve Sexton offered his congratulations to the 12 graduates as well.

“You’ve chosen a road that has been less traveled and you’ve succeeded,” Sexton said. “For this, I congratulate you.”

Cindy Diers, head teacher at the Learning Center, praised the students’ families for their role in the graduations.

Kevin Eairleywine, administrator of the Learning Center, said the staff also deserved recognition.

“The commitment that they made to each individual student is a major factor in the long-time success of this program,” Eairleywine said.

The Senior Vocational Award went to graduate Will Kula, who averaged 28 hours of work while enrolled at the Learning Center.

Cody Pipal was recognized for logging the most volunteer hours while he was at the Learning Center -- 24.

Special recognition also went to Medellyn Palaez, Kelvin Morataya and Kristin Berner. Palaez and Morataya received President’s Scholarships from Metropolitan Community College and Berner was a recipient of Metro’s Board of Governors Scholarship.