North Country celebrates the Class of 2025
239 graduates earn degrees, certificates: Chelsea Helms, 2012 alum, delivers keynote address
May 18, 2025
Saranac Lake, NY — North Country Community College celebrated the achievements of
the Class of 2025 during its 57th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
Held in the Sparks Athletic Complex gymnasium on the college’s Saranac Lake campus,
the event honored 239 graduates who earned a degree or certificate in their field
of study.
The gymnasium was filled to capacity as family members, friends, faculty, and staff gathered to recognize the accomplishments of the graduates. The ceremony featured remarks from several members of the college community, including Linda Beers, a member of the Board of Trustees; Shir Filler, Chair of the Humanities Department and this year’s Grand Marshal; and Shia Bright, a graduating Environmental Science student, who served as Student Government Association President and the student trustee to the college’s Board.
The Commencement Address was delivered by Chelsea Helms, a 2012 North Country graduate and the current evening news anchor for CBS4 in Indianapolis. Raised in Malone, New York, Helms is an award-winning journalist known for her passion, integrity, and connection to the communities she serves.
In her remarks, Helms spoke to the graduates about the importance of resilience in
the face of adversity. 
“Resilience isn’t just about perseverance—it’s about adaptability,” she said. “Many of you are already familiar with this, having had to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic. You went from classrooms to computer screens. You learned to balance family, health, isolation, and uncertainty. You faced challenges no student should have to—and yet, here you are. That is the definition of resilience.”
College President Joe Keegan addressed the Class of 2025 with a heartfelt message about their journey and the road ahead:
“As you leave us, we hope you will be a testimony to the power of education to transform lives, families, and communities,” he said. “We hope you leave us with something more than you came, possessing more knowledge, skills, awareness, empathy, further along the path of more fully becoming the person you are meant to be. Use what you’ve learned to enrich the lives of others, to be a source of strength to all who will need you—and share the good news about your experience with others, so they may find what you have discovered here.”
As part of the ceremony, President Keegan recognized three college employees with
State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor’s Awards:
- Tana Hara, Director of Nursing – Excellence in Faculty Service
- Chad LaDue, Athletic Director – Excellence in Professional Service
- Jimmy Cunningham, Wilderness Recreation Leadership Program Director – Excellence in Teaching
The ceremony concluded with a standing ovation for the graduates and was followed by a reception in the college Connector. Commencement was streamed live, and a recording of the event, along with a complete list of graduates, is available on the college’s website.