MCC Announces Co-Valedictorians and Salutatorian for Class of 2022
MANCHESTER, Conn. (May 25, 2022) – Manchester Community College has announced that Stefan Hall, of Windsor, and Amanda Phillips-Bosshart, of Vernon, are co-valedictorians for the Class of 2022. The salutatorian is Emily Jane Li Jajliardo, of Storrs/Mansfield.
MCC’s 58th Commencement Ceremony will be held Thursday, May 26, at 5:30 p.m. at the Bicentennial Band Shell, on the campus lawn.
Stefan Hall grew up working on his family’s farm and was homeschooled by his mother. He graduated early from high school and, while taking a few years off from further education to work, discovered that he wanted to pursue a career in accounting. In Spring 2019, he matriculated in MCC’s Accounting and Business Administration program, and became very involved with the campus community. He tutored for a variety of subjects, and he served on the Student Government Association for two years as senator, treasurer and, finally, president. He volunteered at the Cougar Pantry, the on-campus food pantry, and he served as the student representative on the MCC Foundation board of directors. This fall, he will be enrolled full-time at the University of Connecticut, where he will pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accounting — possibly dual majoring his bachelor’s with a degree in Management Information Systems — and then pursuing a Certified Public Accountant designation.
Amanda Phillips-Bosshart graduated from Rockville High School in 2000 and pursued a career as a professional ballet and contemporary dancer, achieving the rank of soloist. Her 10-year career brought her to dance companies throughout all parts of the country, from Florida to Chicago to Portland, Oregon. After retiring as a dancer, she began choreographing and teaching competitive dance at Pinnell Dance Centre in Columbus, Ohio, where she remained for 10 years. She moved back to Connecticut in Spring 2020 to attain a college degree, something that she never dreamed was possible for her. She began her education at Manchester Community College in Fall 2020 and, with the help of an MCC Foundation scholarship, she is graduating with an associate degree in Paralegal Studies. She is the 2022 recipient of the MCC Cooperative Education Outstanding Student Award and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa and Lamda Epsilon Chi honor societies, as well as the MCC Adults in Transition program. She currently works as a paralegal at BPS Lawyers and continues training students at Aprille’s Danceprints in Ellington.
Emily Jane Li Jajliardo graduated from Edwin O. Smith High School with 13 college credits already under her belt. She began studying at MCC in Spring 2021 after taking a semester off, and she worked hard to make up for the time she lost. She works in her hometown school district as a paraeducator. Like many 19-year-olds, Emily didn’t know what she wanted to do, so she decided to dabble in many subject areas while working on her General Studies degree. Now, she will attend the University of Connecticut this fall to pursue her love for the digital media arts.
The three are also recipients of the Board of Regents Medallion for Academic Excellence. The Board of Regents Medallion is awarded at each of the 12 community colleges to graduating students who have earned perfect 4.0s and who have completed at least half of their requirements at the college where the degree is being awarded. They are also graduating summa cum laude.
