More than 700 Ozarks Technical Community College graduates walked in the 2022 Commencement, held Thursday, May 19, at Great Southern Bank Arena on the Missouri State University campus.
OTC conferred 2,466 degrees and certificates to graduates this year, including students who have completed or are pending completion of their coursework from the summer 2021 semester through the spring 2022 semester.
Jack Stack delivered the commencement address to the OTC graduates. Stack is the Founder and CEO of Springfield’s SRC Holdings. The author of several books, including “The Great Game of Business,” Stack advised the graduates that this moment was the first step on a ladder to greater things.
“Enjoy this day before you and celebrate,” Stack said. “As a wise writer once said, if the purpose of life is to discover your gift, the meaning of life is to give that gift away.”
2001 OTC Graduate Brett Magers is OTC’s 2022 Distinguished Alumnus. Now, Magers is the president of Legacy Bank and Trust, but he had little time or money to attend college after high school. OTC was the perfect fit for his ambitions.
“I am living proof that if you have grit, determination, and supply the work ethic, you will have opportunities you would not have without an education,” Magers said in a video message to the graduates. “OTC was a blessing in my life, and I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunities it provided me.”
The ceremony featured 2022 OTC graduate Billy Dudley as the student speaker. The Lebanon native studied welding while in high school, but Dudley found his passion after taking an American Sign Language course in college. After OTC, he’s headed for Missouri State University to pursue a degree in the Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Besides his academic work, Dudley was involved in the college as a student ambassador and in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. He encouraged his fellow graduates to seek out connections as they travel through life.
“No matter where you go, find your community. If you can’t find one, make one,” Dudley said. “We are designed to live life with people. In community.”
Once the degrees and certificates were conferred, OTC Chancellor Hal Higdon concluded the ceremony by congratulating the graduates and welcoming them into the OTC Alumni Association.
