Hundreds of friends and family gathered yesterday at Bermuda College for the commencement ceremony of the Class of 2011.“The reason these events are called commencement is that graduation is not an end, but a beginning,” said Associate in Science graduate Alesha Page in her student address.She told her 106 fellow graduates: “Shoot for the moon, and you are guaranteed to end up hitting the stars.”In front of about 300 guests under a canopy at the college field, the students of the 33rd annual commencement ceremony received their Associate’s degrees, diplomas and certificate awards this year, for the first time, with the added recognition of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.College president Duranda Greene said the new accreditation, which was seven years in the making, “doesn’t make this year’s graduates any more successful than our previous graduates, but it does facilitate our students’ success as they transition to that next step of their journey to overseas institutions or if they begin or continue career dreams locally or abroad.”In her welcoming address, Dr Greene told the graduates: “This afternoon is dedicated to you. This is a time when your friends, family and loved ones, and the whole of Bermuda’s community honours you for your achievements.”She said: “This year we will award 92 Associates’ degrees, diplomas and certificates. Mount Saint Vincent University in Nova Scotia will award 15 Bachelor’s degrees. And more than one third of you are graduating with honours. More than 80 percent of you have completed the Associate’s degree.”At least three of this year’s graduates come from overseas, she added.Delivering this year’s commencement address, Bermuda College graduate Craig Laws noted that he had sat through the same ceremony, five years earlier, addressed by Austin Thomas. Curriculum reforms, fee assistance and student counselling had changed the college since, he said. Pointing to the faculty, Mr Laws said: “This is no ordinary group. This is a dedicated and caring family.”Associate’s degrees, diplomas and certificates were then presented. The college’s business administration and hospitality management division was the most popular category, followed closely by Liberal Arts.Mount Saint Vincent director of distance learning Peggy Lee bestowed six baccalaureate degrees; another nine students in association with the college travelled to Mount Saint Vincent, where ceremonies were being simultaneously held.With the last degrees given, the graduating class stood in their gowns and mortar board hats, turning the tassels from left to right to show they were now official graduates from Bermuda College.Also in attendance were Health Minister Zane DeSilva, Government Senator LaVerne Furbert, One Bermuda Alliance Shadow Education Minister Grant Gibbons, Speaker of the House Stanley Lowe and Minister without Portfolio Michael Weeks.Alumnus and chair of the college’s board of governors Walton Brown then rose and said: “It’s truly a beautiful day today, filled with promise and success. And I’m not talking about politics.”Mr Brown noted that it had been more than 30 years since his own commencement ceremony.“Bermuda, as you know, like everywhere else, has been going through a prolonged period of economic challenges. The skills you leave with today will allow you to better navigate these challenges and Bermuda College presents you with a wide range of skills.”The added New England Association of Schools accreditation, he said, “gives you instant recognition in colleges and universities on a global scale”.After the closing remarks, the newly-graduated headed outside to the field for photographs, and to raise their hats together.This year’s graduates will transfer to Brock University, Dalhousie, Georgia State, Howard University, Mount Saint Vincent, the New England Institute of Technology, Spelman College, and to the University of Kent, the University of London and the University of the West Indies among others.Useful web link: www.bercol.bm, www.neasc.org.