Alumna Brenda York will Speak at June 3 Commencement
Charter Oak State College has announced its 2018 commencement ceremonies to take place on Sunday, June 3, 2018, in Welte Auditorium on the campus of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT. The ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. Brenda S. York, of Greenfield, WI, has been selected as the 2018 Honorary Doctorate Degree Recipient and commencement speaker.
Mrs. York epitomizes the adult student for which Charter Oak was originally designed. She left college after four years with 133 credits but no degree, to marry and raise a family. Putting her family first, Brenda and her husband, David, raised eight children. All eight children were home educated through high school by Brenda, with the goal of helping them become confident, creative learners and problem solvers for the rest of their lives. She placed a strong emphasis on developing good character qualities, such as perseverance and courage. The focal point of the family was music, particularly vocal and piano performance, which provided many opportunities for the children to develop their skills through private teachers and performance situations. Each of her children has grown into an accomplished musician.
The amazing record of family commitment to education and self-reliance was the direct product of Brenda’s energy, self-education, and patience. All of the curriculum her children studied was delivered by Brenda. Each went on to higher education success. Six of the York children have graduated from Charter Oak, and four (Joel, Alicia, Adam, and Ethan) are pursuing or have already finished graduate degrees. The last two York siblings are almost finished with their college degrees from Charter Oak and anticipate graduating in 2019.
After the York children graduated and/or were on their own, it was her turn. Brenda was able to fulfill her educational goal of completing her Bachelor of Science degree by taking tests, taking classes and utilizing her already-earned credits. She earned her degree from Charter Oak in just under a year of additional study.
Charter Oak State College congratulates the 2018 Honorary Degree recipient Mrs. Brenda S. York!