Klamath Basin Graduates Take Their Next Step
KCC and Oregon Tech celebrated hundreds of graduates in back-to-back commencement ceremonies.
Oregon Tech graduates make their way into John F. Moehl Stadium. Photo courtesy of Oregon Tech.
“Commencement is a celebration of personal growth, of the merits of hard work, and the opportunities afforded by higher education. Today, we celebrate those who will enter the workforce with not only the knowledge and skills to succeed, but also as global citizens contributing to the greater good of society as a whole.”
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The Klamath Basin marked a major week for higher education as Klamath Community College and Oregon Institute of Technology celebrated their 2026 graduates in back-to-back commencement ceremonies.
Together, the ceremonies highlighted hundreds of students moving into the workforce, continuing their education or stepping into new chapters after years of study, persistence and support from family, faculty and the community.
Klamath Community College held its 30th annual commencement June 12, honoring a spring graduating class that included 256 students who petitioned to graduate. According to the college, 231 students earned degrees and 25 completed certificates across 32 academic disciplines.
A total of 156 graduates took part in the traditional processional across the KCC campus lawn before receiving diploma covers from KCC President Dr. Roberto Gutiérrez and the college’s Board of Trustees. More than 800 family members, friends and community supporters attended.
“A great deal of institutional energy, heart and soul has been devoted to ensuring the success of our next generation of students,” Gutiérrez told the crowd. “So, it is indeed a pleasure this afternoon to relax and enjoy the success and moments of celebration for this graduation class.”
During the ceremony, Gutiérrez asked graduates to stand and turn toward their families and supporters, giving them a moment to recognize the people who helped them reach commencement day. The request was met with cheering, applause and air horns from the crowd.
Klamath Falls City Manager Jonathan Teichert delivered the keynote address, speaking about his own path through community college and the role it played in shaping his future.
“I wasn’t the most motivated student. I definitely wasn’t ready for a university. Community college changed that for me,” Teichert said.
He told graduates that the smaller classes and personal support he found at a junior college in Idaho helped him learn how to study, take responsibility for his education and move forward. Teichert later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wyoming and built a career in public service.
“That’s why I believe so deeply in what KCC does,” he said, pointing to the college’s role in workforce training for fields such as skilled trades, public safety, nursing, aviation, construction and other local needs.
The KCC ceremony also recognized graduates who overcame significant challenges on the way to the stage.
Graduate Dora Maria Peña Ramirez was honored for her persistence after immigrating to the United States at 17, entering the workforce, raising a family and later earning her GED before completing an Associate in Automotive and Diesel Technology. KCC Vice President of Student Affairs Gail Schull described her journey as “a powerful testament to resilience and determination.”
Graduate Chris Mercado, a first-generation student and father of eight, was also recognized. After years of physically demanding work in construction and long-haul trucking, Mercado returned to pursue his interest in veterinary medicine. KCC said he plans to attend Oregon Tech in the fall.
The college also honored Early Childhood Education Faculty Program Lead Kelley Fritz, retiring faculty members Peter Brandsness and Stan Pence, and retiring Vice President of Academic Affairs Jamie Jennings, who has served KCC for 26 years.
OHSU President Dr. Shereef Elnahal receives Oregon Tech’s first honorary Doctor of Science degree during the university’s 78th annual commencement ceremony in Klamath Falls. Photo courtesy of Oregon Tech.
One day later, Oregon Tech held its 78th annual commencement at John F. Moehl Stadium in Klamath Falls.
Oregon Tech President Nagi Naganathan told graduates that commencement represents more than the completion of coursework.
“Commencement is a celebration of personal growth, of the merits of hard work, and the opportunities afforded by higher education,” Naganathan said. “Today, we celebrate those who will enter the workforce with not only the knowledge and skills to succeed, but also as global citizens contributing to the greater good of society as a whole.”
Oregon Tech’s Class of 2026 includes 731 graduates, with 459 from the Klamath Falls campus, 161 from the Portland-Metro campus, 128 from the Online campus and additional graduates from partnership programs with Oregon Health & Science University, Chemeketa Community College and The Boeing Company.
This year’s ceremony also marked the first graduating cohorts from four Oregon Tech programs: the Bachelor of Science in Allied Health, Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences, Master of Science in Natural Resources and the joint Oregon Tech-OHSU Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
OHSU President Dr. Shereef Elnahal served as keynote speaker and received Oregon Tech’s first honorary Doctor of Science degree.
In his remarks, Elnahal connected Oregon Tech’s geothermal Klamath Falls campus to a broader message about perseverance and service.
“Class of 2026, your very own campus is a lesson of life,” Elnahal said. “The warmth that carries you is almost never the warmth on the surface. It’s the heat you find by going deep, through the pressure, through the dark, to the part of yourself that almost nobody else can see, but you know it’s there.”
He also urged graduates to remember rural communities as they move forward.
“This community, Klamath Falls, gave you something precious,” Elnahal said. “It gave you the chance to serve others while it quietly changed your own life for the better.”
Student speakers Miranda Valle, a Biology-Health Sciences graduate, and Amoi Rutherford Storm, a Mechanical Engineering graduate, reflected on gratitude, persistence and the imperfect paths that often lead students to graduation.
“Earning a degree was never about being perfect; it was about being persistent,” Storm said.
As both ceremonies closed, the message across Klamath Falls was similar: graduation was not only a finish line, but a turning point.
For KCC, the week celebrated students who found new beginnings, second chances and workforce pathways close to home. For Oregon Tech, it marked the next class of graduates entering technical, health, engineering, natural resources and other fields with ties that stretch from Klamath Falls across Oregon and beyond.
Cover image: Klamath Falls City Manager Jonathan Teichert speaks during Klamath Community College’s 30th annual commencement, where he reflected on how community college helped shape his own path into public service. Photo courtesy of Klamath Community College.
