Seven military veterans preparing to finish their degrees at Centralia College — along with four family members of veterans who were given G.I. Bills — received their graduation cords during a ceremony organized by Centralia College Veterans Services Coordinators Kathy Tukes and Will Franklin on Wednesday.
“We are both veterans ourselves,” Tukes said. “I’m (U.S.) Air Force and he’s (U.S.) Navy, so this event holds a special place in our hearts … We all know you guys, and we’ve also have been and are students here, so we understand what you guys go through every day coming to college. I’m really proud of all of you guys making it to the end.”
The ceremony was held for the veterans and their friends and families to attend inside the college’s TransAlta Commons on Wednesday, June 11.
The veterans who were honored included:
• Spencer Mallory, who served as military police in the U.S. Marine Corps
• Ana Encinas-Estrada, who served as logistics in the U.S. Army
• Daniel Turner, who served as an artilleryman and worked on other vehicles in the Army
• Robert Cruz, who served in the infantry in the Army
• Martin Hublar, who served as a cavalry scout in the Army
• Josh Pickett, who served as both a mortarman and machine gunner in the Marine Corps
• RaeLynn Kuljis, who served as an ammunition technician in the Air Force
Family of veterans attending Centralia College who were honored included:
• Angela Anderson, whose husband Ty Anderson served in U.S. Army National Guard
• Danielle Dobbs, whose father served in the Army
• Kendall Russell-Tutty, whose father Thomas Russell-Tutty served in the Army
• Yvette Lambert, whose husband served in the Army
Centralia College’s commencement ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, June 18, at the Littel Commencement Field starting at 4 p.m.
