Until about a week or so ago, college wasn’t on Gerald Clayton III’s radar, according to his dad Gerald Clayton Jr.
With working toward three machinist certificates and two technology certificates as a dual-credit student at Ivy Tech’s Lake County campus, the 17-year-old 21st Century Charter School senior had a lot going on, he said after Ivy Tech’s graduation ceremony at the Dean and Barbara White Community Center in Merrillville Thursday afternoon. And that was before church, a part-time gig at AutoZone and a girlfriend.
But now, Gerald is one class away from having his associate’s degree in Machine Tool Technology, and he’s going to knock that out this summer, he said after posing for pictures with his proud parents. But first, he’s going to apply to Indiana University Bloomington to work on a degree in dentistry.
“It came all of a sudden. He just said, ‘Since it’s free, I’m going to to do it,’” Clayton Jr. said of his son and the 21st Century scholarship he also earned. “But he’s always been a good kid. He’s our last one.”
Approximately 1,200 graduates earned 1,600 degrees over the course of the 2024-2025 school year, Ivy Tech spokeswoman Donna Kiesling said in a release. Heather Hart, the Lake County campus’s interim chancellor, emphasized the milestone that graduation is for students.
“(Graduation) is a testament to their hard work, perseverance and the countless hours (students) have invested in their future,” she said. “At the Ivy Tech Lake County campus, we are incredibly proud of each of our graduates. Their success is a celebration for our entire community, and we are excited to see the impact they will make next.”
The ceremony was also bittersweet for Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann, who delivered her final Commencement speech. Ellspermann, who served as Indiana’s 50th Lieutenant Governor, is leaving after nine years at the helm.
“When I began my tenure as President, I knew that Ivy Tech was special. What I didn’t know yet — what I would come to understand deeply — was the courage, determination, and heart of our students,” she said. You arrived at Ivy Tech with a goal — sometimes a clear one, sometimes just a feeling that it was time for something more.
“Along the way, you found support, direction, and a community that believed in your potential. And today, you leave with something even more powerful than a degree or credential: You leave with momentum. With purpose. With the conviction that you have everything you need to succeed within you.”
Aimee and Morgan Cowger, of Highland, are ready to start their lives after walking across the stage. First, Morgan Cowger has to walk across another stage: Monbeck Auditorium or Highland High School’s graduation.
“I started at (Area Career Center in Hammond), and I ended up taking dual credit courses to get my certificate in Business Information Technology,” Morgan, who’s also part of the campus’s Phi Theta Kappa honors group, said. “Taking the classes have made my career path more seamless, so I can go straight into the workforce now.”
Aimee Cowger also started at ACC when she was in high school, but her path took her toward health services. Thursday, she graduated with a phlebotomy degree.
“I cut my time in college literally in half because I already had my prerequisites,” she said.
The college honored graduate Chineze Odeluga, who received an associate degree in nursing. Odeluga moved to the U.S. from Nigeria in 2023 at the age of 16 and “excelled academically while overcoming the challenges presented by moving to a new country and culture,” according to a release.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
