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COMP-NW 2019 commencement includes 2 governors, 500th grad

Lebanon’s COMP-Northwest campus graduated 104 students, two of which are from Lebanon, in its fifth commencement exercise on May 31.

The event was marked as a special occasion with guest speakers governor Kate Brown and former governor Barbara Roberts, who were also both awarded honorary degrees during the ceremony.

Another special notation was made during the ceremony, involving Lebanon’s own Morgan Wimmer, a 2010 Lebanon High School graduate, who held the honor of being the college’s 500th graduate.

Wimmer will begin her residency in family medicine at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis.

She said the most difficult thing about attending the college was the volume of information she was given in just two years time, but she does not regret it.

“I think also the difficult part is growing to be a good leader, and cultivating that confidence in yourself to care for another human being, and taking on this new role in your life where you’re looked up to,” Wimmer said.

Laurie (Newton) Reed, a 2007 LHS graduate, also received her degree this year, and will begin her residency in emergency medicine at Beaumont Health in Farmington Hills, Mich.

Gov. Brown had a brief talk with Reed when she received her degree, and was very happy to hear Reed is from Lebanon and plans to return to Oregon, Reed said.

Pastor Patrick Bowler, of Valley Life Church, gave the invocation for the ceremony, stating that God blesses people so that they in turn can be a blessing to others.

“We have been blessed to be a blessing. So today’s a big deal,” Bowler said. “Congratulations to you, your family, and to all those who will one day find themselves blessed because of you.”