North Idaho College to host virtual commencement ceremony Friday

North Idaho College graduates will gather online at 10 a.m. Friday for a virtual commencement ceremony.

There are 776 students who are eligible to graduate from degree and certificate programs this year.

The college’s traditional in-person commencement event, held annually in Christianson Gymnasium and attended by hundreds, was canceled in March due to the coronavirus.

“I am especially proud of these students for the great resilience they have shown in achieving their educational goals during this unique and challenging time in history,” said NIC President Rick MacLennan.

MacLennan said the decision to cancel the traditional commencement ceremony was a difficult decision. But the college’s commencement planners quickly switched gears, he said, to create a virtual event with many of the same traditions NIC graduates have enjoyed for years.

This year’s commencement speaker is Joe Dunlap, who serves as chair of the NIC Board of Trustees.

The virtual commencement video will be streamed at bit.ly/3cOVa2J and Facebook @northidahocollege.