Mitchell Community College will honor over 700 graduates with associate degree, diploma and/or certificates during the annual commencement exercises planned for this May. To accommodate all the College’s graduates and their guests, the curriculum graduation will be held on Saturday, May 11 at the Mooresville Performing Arts Center, located at 160 S. Magnolia St., Mooresville, NC 28115.
Two ceremonies will be held: one at 9 a.m. and the other at noon. Dr. James T. Brewer, President of Mitchell Community College, will preside.
Dr. Jeff Cox, the eleventh president of the North Carolina Community College System and a lifelong champion of North Carolina public education, will deliver the graduation address.
Prior to leading the System, Dr. Cox served as the President of Wilkes Community College from 2014 to 2023. Beginning his career as a high school teacher and coach, Cox formerly served in administrative roles for Alleghany County, Lee County, and Union County Schools.
In 2017, Dr. Cox was awarded an Aspen Institute Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence. He was one of 40 college leaders in the country selected for this prestigious program through a rigorous process that considered candidates’ abilities to take strategic risks, lead strong teams, cultivate partnerships, and focus on results-oriented improvements for greater student success and access.
In 2001, Dr. Cox earned his Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He also has a Master’s in School Administration and a bachelor’s degree in English—Secondary Education, both of which he earned from Appalachian State University. Dr. Cox and his wife, Reba, have three sons Dylan, Evan, and Zach and four dogs.
Additional ceremonies honoring Mitchell graduates include:
Wednesday, May 8 – Nursing Pinning Ceremony – 6 p.m. on the Circle, Statesville Campus (500 W. Broad St., Statesville)
Thursday, May 9 – Culinary Arts Ceremony – 5:30 p.m. in the Executive Training Center, Continuing Education/Workforce Development Campus Location (701 W. Front St., Statesville)
Thursday, May 9 – Basic Law Enforcement Training Graduation Ceremony – 6 p.m. in the Continuing Education Center Auditorium (701 W. Front St., Statesville)
Thursday, May 9 – High School Equivalency Diploma Graduation – 7 p.m. on the Circle, Statesville Campus (500 W. Broad St., Statesville)
Friday, May 10 – Collaborative College for Technology and Leadership Early College High School Graduation – 2 p.m. on the Circle, Statesville Campus (500 W. Broad St., Statesville)
Friday, May 10 – Medical Assisting Pinning Ceremony – 6 p.m. in Shearer Hall, Statesville Campus (500 W. Broad St., Statesville)
Friday, May 10 – Basic Firefighter Training Graduation Ceremony – 6:30 p.m. in the Continuing Education Center Auditorium (701 W. Front St., Statesville)
The rain location for all graduations to be held on the Circle will be Shearer Hall on the Statesville Campus.
For more information or to register for Curriculum Graduation: If you are a graduate and would like more information or to register to participate in the Curriculum Graduation, please visit mitchellcc.edu/graduation-info.
