Shasta College To Hold 75th Commencement Ceremony

Shasta College will hold its 75th Commencement ceremony at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 16, 2025, in the Shasta College Memorial Stadium. A total of 1951 degree applications, including 403 certificate applications, have been received. Among the graduates there are 722 Transfer degree recipients, 511 Honors graduates, and 15 Bachelor of Science recipients. A total of 23 veterans will be graduating during this commencement. The Shasta College Foundation awarded a total of 642 scholarships accounting for $817,689 in funding to help students as they pursued their educational goals.

Claire Deloge, Shasta College Student Representative, will present the class, and Dr. Frank Nigro, Superintendent/President, will deliver the welcoming address. Flag bearers for the ceremony will include Kate Ashbey and Leslie Hyatt, Excellent Educators of the Year; Karen Sears, Classified Employee of the Year; and Nadia Salsedo Elwood, Administrator of the Year.

A special section of VIPs including distinguished alumni and local civic leaders will attend to mark the historic significance of Shasta College celebrating 75 years of service to the communities of Shasta, Tehama, and Trinity counties.

This year’s commencement speaker will be retired Shasta College Board of Trustees member Rhonda Nehr. A graduate of Anderson Union High School, Ms. Nehr attended Shasta College, where she was encouraged to apply for the first all-female cohort of the California Highway Patrol Academy. After completing the academy, she became one of the first female CHP officers and was assigned to South Los Angeles. Nehr later returned to the North state, joining the Redding Police Department as its first female officer.

Ms. Nehr began working for Shasta College in 1993. As the District's Chief/Supervisor of Campus Safety, she forged strong partnerships with the Redding Police Department and other local agencies. She also served as a part-time instructor in Shasta College’s Administration of Justice program from 2010 to 2012. In 2013, she was appointed to the Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Joint Community College District Board of Trustees, where she served until November 2024.

Superintendent/President Dr. Frank Nigro reflected on the historic nature of the 75th graduating class saying, “As we celebrate our 75th Commencement Ceremony, I am reminded of the incredible legacy of service Shasta College has provided to our region for the past 75 years. Throughout our history, our mission has remained steadfast—to be a teaching college that empowers students through education. I am incredibly proud of all our graduates, the work that our faculty continue to do as advocates and mentors, and the transformative impact all our staff have as we help our students succeed.”

The Health Sciences Division will celebrate a strong cohort of graduates this year, including 68 associate degree for Nursing (ADN) students, 16 students in the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program, 10 certificate completers in the Vocational Nursing (VN) program, and 21 Dental Hygiene students. Separate pinning ceremonies for ADN and VN students will be held at 5:00 p.m. in the Shasta College Theatre for this semester’s graduates. The ADN pinning ceremony will be on Wednesday, May 14, with the VN pinning ceremony following on Thursday, May 15.

The Shasta College Fire Academy will recognize its 72nd graduating class at a ceremony on Saturday, May 17, at noon in the Shasta College Theatre. A total of 20 cadets will graduate, with most entering service with CAL FIRE, while others will join the City of Redding Fire Department and the Anderson Fire Protection District.

The Shasta College STEP-UP program will honor its 2025 graduates at the 13th Annual STEP-UP Academic Recognition Ceremony on May 8 at 6:00 p.m. at the Gaia Hotel & Spa in Anderson, California. This year’s 36 graduates earned degrees and certificates in 19 separate academic fields and had an average GPA of 3.36. The 2024–25 STEP-UP Student of the Year is Jessica Stradiota. Launched in 2012, STEP-UP is a partnership with community agencies that employs restorative justice practices to give students a second chance to succeed.

The staff, faculty, and Board of Trustees of Shasta College extend heartfelt congratulations to all graduates and certificate recipients for their outstanding educational achievements.