LYNN — Nearly 700 North Shore Community College (NSCC) students received associate degrees and certificates at the college’s 59th Commencement Ceremonies held on May 23 at NSCC’s Lynn Campus.
President William Heineman addressed the graduates, “You chose to do the hard thing for the right reasons. For your family, for your community, and for yourself. Don’t you ever forget that we see you! We saw you when you started at NSCC — we see you now, today, as you graduate, and everyone else here sees you too; sees your value, your impact, and your courage to make change happen. On behalf of everyone at North Shore — before we go any further — I want to simply say thank you.”
Lynn City Councilor At-Large, Nicole McClain, served as the keynote speaker at both the 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies.
A Lynn native, McClain served 11 years in the Army National Guard, including two deployments to Iraq. While serving, she continued her education, earning a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She later completed coursework at NSCC for a paraprofessional certificate and most recently completed her master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy at Boston College in 2024.
“Graduates, you don’t owe the world a version of yourself that fits in a box. Don’t let anyone define you,” said McClain. “You owe this world the boldest, realest version of who you choose to be. Again, the journey will not be easy. As you go after your version of success, you will encounter many defeats, but you must never be defeated.
Go forward — not just with knowledge, but with intention. Not just with dreams, but standing firm in your identity. Not the identity that is defined for you… but the identity that you create.
The world needs more people who are unafraid to become exactly who they decide to be.”
Eric Movio, who graduated with a degree in Business Administration, was the student speaker at the afternoon ceremony. In 2016, he left Sao Paulo, Brazil to search for a better life in the U.S. He learned English and worked long hours as a delivery driver, janitor and pizza maker, while attending NSCC.
“There were nights I studied after long shifts, moments of doubts and times when I questioned if I belonged. But like many of you, I pushed through.” Movio delivered parts of his speech in both English and Portuguese, thanking his parents, who traveled from Brazil for the ceremony, for ”teaching me that hard work, honesty, and courage take us far.” He congratulated his fellow graduates, “Whatever you do, believe in yourself. The world needs your voice, your ideas, your passion.”
