EUGENE, Ore. — This year, as Lane Community College celebrates its 61st Commencement, for 1,383 graduates, it not only confers degrees and certificates, but also celebrates each student and their unique journey to a better future.
Among the graduates, they will earn 2,104 associate degrees and certificate awards. An additional 55 students have earned their GED from LCC this year.
Roughly three out of five graduating students are first generation, meaning they had no parent or guardian with a four-year degree. For them, college can be extra challenging without familial guidance on how to navigate admissions and registration. But through their hard work, and the support of LCC, they’re building a better future for themselves.
Amanda Fallon is one such student. As the Vice President of Student Government, she will speak at the upcoming Commencement ceremony. And, as a first-generation student, the day will be particularly meaningful:
“To me, graduation is another important step forward on the path I am building for myself,” she said. “This journey was not easy, and there were many struggles along the way, but I have learned and grown so much through the experience. ”
Amanda is among the 45% of students earning transfer degrees. She plans to go to Portland State University to study anthropology and art history. Amanda is also considered nontraditional, meaning she didn’t come to college straight out of high school. Nearly half of the graduating class (46%) are similar (25 or older).
Another nontraditional student, Nathan Hale, is one of the 55% of students in Career Technical Education (CTE). He’ll be earning his Associate in Multimedia Design and Production with a focus in animation. After struggling in university, Nathan ultimately found his path at LCC:
“We're taught in our early 20s that we're supposed to know where we're going, but when I first went to university I didn’t know. And if you were someone in your later 20s, it was like ‘What are you doing here now?’ When I came to LCC, it helped me learn structure, and hone in on what I want to do in life. Two years later I have peers, new skills, and a brand new path.”
While most students are local, some have traveled from across the world to find their new path. The 2026 graduating class includes international students from 18 countries, from Australia to Uzbekistan, with most students from Japan and South Africa. For them, college wasn’t only a time to study, but a lifetime experience in a whole new country and culture.
Nationality is only one of many forms of diversity at LCC. The youngest graduating student is 17, while the oldest is 69. The percentage of white, non-Latino students in the class of 2026 (64.9%) is nearly 15% lower than Lane County (78.7%), according to census data. And more than half of graduates qualify for federal financial aid, denoting a lower socioeconomic status. With an associate degree from LCC, a graduate can earn an average of $8,600 a year more than someone with a high school diploma.
Support services like scholarships, college achievement coaches, and career pathways help students afford and navigate school. Other resources include the Center for Accessible Resources, from which 16% of the graduating class received support. Students of various identities and cultures can find community in many places on campus, such as: the Veterans Center, the Gender Equity Center, the Multicultural Center, the Longhouse, the Center for Accessibility Resources, and the many clubs and identity unions through Student Life.
Commencement is not only a celebration, but a transition point. The many students who have found community and purpose at LCC, will bring that with them to the broader Lane County community. Candy Nease is one such student, who will graduate with an Associate in Early Childhood Education:
“So many memories were made with my classes, and especially my connection with the instructor and classmates. I felt like I belonged. I have always wanted to be a teacher, and now I can.”
LCC’s 2026 Commencement will be held Saturday, June 13, at 10 a.m. in the LCC Gymnasium (Building 5) on its main campus at 4000 East 30th Ave., Eugene, OR. The event will be streamed live, with a recording available online shortly after. For more information, visit lanecc.edu/commencement.
Lane Community College educates over 17,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $816.2 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 9,700 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses