All the Right Pieces
HCC celebrates the Class of 2026
Some people say, life is like a bowl of cherries; others, like a box of chocolates. To Yasmari Cardenales, though, student orator at Holyoke Community College’s 79th Commencement, it’s more like a jigsaw puzzle.
At first, you’re drawn to the image on the front of the box. “That picture becomes your vision, the person you hope to become, the life you’re working toward,” she said.
You start around the edges, building a foundation. Some pieces fit easily together, others seemingly not at all, leaving you frustrated and uncertain.
“Sometimes,” she said, “you don’t even realize you’ve been holding onto all the right pieces until they suddenly come together.”
“Standing here today,” she said from the Commencement stage in the MassMutual Center arena, “I realize just how powerful that moment truly is. It is an incredible honor to be part of the Class of 2026 and an even greater honor to speak in front of you, a room full of people who have all been building their own puzzles, piece by piece, in their own, unique ways.”
The event was both a moment of reflection and celebration for the graduates, their families, and HCC faculty and staff who filled the arena on Saturday, May 30.
This year, the college conferred a total of 849 associate degrees and certificates to 781 graduates, who range in age from 17 to 69 and hail from 71 different Massachusetts cities and towns, as well as California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New York, Vermont, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, China, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Ukraine.
“At HCC, you have learned alongside people whose life experiences may have been very different from your own,” said President George Timmons. “You have worked with classmates from different cultures, languages, identities, beliefs, and perspectives. Those experiences matter because they teach us one of the most important lessons any college can offer: that our differences do not weaken us; they strengthen us.”
Faculty speaker Patricia Sullivan, HCC professor of English and an HCC alum from the class of 1976, opened her remarks by asking all the graduates to stand, along with all the other people in the arena with a direct connection to the college.
“Graduates,” she said. “Look around and see that you are a part of our HCC community. HCC will always be part of your story, and HCC is lucky you chose us as the place to further your education.”
As the recipient of the 2026 Elaine Marieb Faculty Chair for Teaching Excellence Award, Sullivan, a lifelong Holyoke resident and teacher at the college since 1981, led the procession of graduates into the arena and gave the keynote address.
“Attending HCC was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life, and years later, I was offered a job to teach here,” she said. “It was the thrill of a lifetime. HCC is my second home, and the people here my second family. I could have retired many years ago but have chosen to stay because I love my work here, the institution, and its people. My students have given me so much. You are the real heroes today.”
Cardenales talked about how she had left high school 26 years ago without any idea where her life would take her. Over the years she worked multiple jobs, taking opportunities as they came.
“I stayed involved in my community and kept searching for where my purpose fit,” she said. “Over the years, I built a life I was proud of. I met my wife – my greatest supporter. We built a home together and welcomed our daughter Sofia into the world.”
Working for the American Red Cross for 20 years taught her compassion, resilience, and the importance of serving others she said. But after COVID, something shifted, the world felt uncertain and so did she.
“I realized there were pieces missing from my puzzle,” she said, “pieces I had been searching for without even knowing their shape.”
She took the leap and enrolled at HCC. Saturday, she graduated with high honors and her associate degree and will attend the Elms College bachelor’s degree program in nursing on a Presidential Scholarship.
“To every adult learner here,” she said in closing, “it’s never too late to begin again. Never stop searching for your missing pieces. Never stop learning. Never stop growing. And never underestimate the power of a community that supports you, challenges you, and believes in your vision. Even when you’re still trying to figure out the picture on the box.”
PHOTOS: Members of the HCC Class of 2026 celebrate Commencement on Saturday, May 30.
