(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - May 1, 2012) - - - Representing 60 Tennessee hometowns and as far away as New York, Texas and Australia, Columbia State Community College prepares for its spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 5. Columbia State will confer 416 degrees in 17 disciplines of the college's five campuses.

Commencement begins on the Columbia campus at 10:00 a.m. and will be held in the W.J. "Billy" Webster Athletic Building.

"Nothing is more exciting than commencement day," said Janet Smith, president of Columbia State. "It is what every faculty and staff member comes to work every day to prepare students for.

The commencement charge to the graduates will be given by Sondra L. Wilson, a 2006 graduate of Columbia State who went on to earn her Bachelor of Science and master's degrees from Middle Tennessee State University in 2009 and 2011 respectively. Wilson has returned to Columbia to teach in the Maury County school system.

In planning her address, Wilson said, "The most important message I can leave with new graduates is to find the things about which you are passionate and follow those wherever they lead."

"And the other most important life skill is to persevere, knowing that every journey begins with little steps."

The public is invited to the commencement ceremony. Family and friends are encouraged to arrive early as seating is on a first-come basis. The Columbia State main campus is at 1665 Hampshire Pike in Columbia.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.

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