Arapahoe Community College's 2013 commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday morning, May 18, beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the Orchard Road Christian Center at 8081 E. Orchard Road in Greenwood Village.

Plenty of seating will be available, and graduates are encouraged to invite as many guests as they would like.  Tickets are not required, and the ceremony typically lasts about 1 ½ hours.  Additional instructions will be sent to graduating students the week before the ceremony.

This year's featured speaker will be ACC writing faculty Josie Mills.  Mills began her eighth year at Arapahoe Community College in the fall of 2012 and has taught for over 20 years, including stints at the University of Denver and Community College of Aurora from 1990-2000.  Mills developed and guided ACC’s new Contemporary Journalism program, and she currently serves on the College Prep Task Force.  Furthermore, Mills received a Distinguished Faculty award from ACC in 2010.  Mills served as a journalistic advisor for ACC’s now-defunct student newspaper, Arapahoe Avenue, in 2009, as well as a Selector for the Colorado Book Awards from 2008-09.  She has helped judge a variety of poetry and literary contests, including ACC’s Writers Studio Literary Contest (2007), the Colorado Lawyer Poetry Contest (2007) and the Jefferson County Reflections Contest (2007-08).  In 2004, Mills garnered a Student Life Award for outstanding involvement and contributions to student life at DU.  Mills earned bachelor’s degrees in English and Humanities, as well as an M.A. in English, from the University of South Florida before completing her doctorate (Philosophy in English) at DU.

The student speaker at ACC's 2013 commencement ceremony will be Aaron Rauscher, President of ACC's Sigma Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa.  During the 2012-13 school year, Rauscher was a Phi Theta Kappa International Vice Presidential candidate (Division IV) and participated in the CLIMB (Colorado Leadership Institute: Motivation and Beyond) regional leadership development program.  He also serves as the President of the Alchemy Society and is a Peer Tutor in the Student Success Center.  Rauscher is currently pursuing his Associate of Science degree and plans to transfer into the engineering program at either Colorado State University or Colorado School of Mines.

For more information, please contact Graduation Coordinator Eric Rogers at eric.rogers@arapahoe.edu or 303.797.5630.

Arapahoe Community College’s Workforce Training Program will hold its annual open house for the Colorado First and Existing Industry Training Grant Program on Wednesday night, May 15, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the ACC Parker Campus (15653 Brookstone Drive).

The Colorado First and Existing Industry Training Grant Program provides grant monies to local businesses.  Colorado companies that meet certain baseline criteria are eligible to apply for two types of grants, "Colorado First" and "Existing Industry".

The Colorado First Grant is intended to benefit companies that are relocating to, or expanding in, the state of Colorado.  The Existing Industry Grant applies to companies who are adding technology or changing their business strategies in an effort to stay competitive in the market.

This event will help companies familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations of these grant programs.  Attendees will receive a copy of the application forms and have an opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session.  Representatives from Arapahoe Community College, the Community College System of Colorado and the Governor's Office of Economic Development are all scheduled to be in attendance.

Attendance and parking are free for this event, and refreshments will be provided.  Please RSVP by no later than Friday, May 10.

For more information, or to inquire about accommodations, please contact the ACC Workforce Training Program at workforce@arapahoe.edu or 303.734.3701.

May 13 is the last day of classes (end of the 2013 spring semester).