VIDALIA — It was to the tune of Christmas music rather than to the traditional pomp and circumstance, but the graduates of Louisiana Technical College-Shelby M. Jackson Campus marched proudly down the aisle in the Vidalia Conference and Convention Center to receive their diplomas or certificates Thursday.

As Jennifer Williams Lyles waited for the ceremony to begin, she said she had decided to go back to school after a number of years and following the urging of her late grandmother.

And it wasn’t easy for her to head to graduation Thursday night because her aunt had just died that day, she said.

“I just put God before everything else, and I made it here,” she said.

“Now I plan to find a job and take care of my kids.”

Graduating with Lyles was Leonia Tyree, who said she decided to pursue a certificate of technical studies so she could move up from her job as a certified nursing assistant.

“I am proud of myself,” Tyree said. “I worked hard for this.”

Practical Nursing student Torie Granados reflected on the students’ hard work from the lectern at the beginning of the graduation ceremony

“Tonight, we close one chapter of our lives as another opens. Tonight as we realize the fruits of our labor and celebrate with our families and friends, we look forward to the future,” she said.

“At Louisiana Technical College, we acquired the skills we will need to face what lies ahead with confidence.”

LTC-Shelby M. Jackson Campus Dean Mignonne Ater said that with graduation comes the obligation to perform well to future customers, clients and patients, for future employers and for family members who supported the graduates throughout their education.

“You have an obligation to yourself to live up to your potential,” she said. “Set high standards and be the best you can be.”

The guest speaker at the graduation, Rep. Andy Anders, told the graduates that whatever challenges they face in the coming months and years, the teachers and staff at LTC-Shelby M. Jackson have prepared them to handle the challenge.

“Whenever you apply for a job, if you need a recommendation, I know I can support that by the staff you have all been taught by,” he said.

The graduating class included:

4One student receiving a technical diploma in accounting technology.

4Two students receiving a technical diploma in air-conditioning and refrigeration.

4Four students receiving a technical diploma in office systems technology.

4Two students receiving a technical diploma in welding.

4Three students receiving a certificate of technical studies as a medical office assistant.

4Three students receiving a certificate of technical studies as a patient care technician.

4Forty-one students receiving a technical competency area certificate as a nursing assistant.

4Thirteen students receiving a technical competency area certificate in phlebotomy skills.