Almost 300 of the 620 graduates from Riverland Community College walked the stage at Thursday night's commencement ceremony.

Two students, Lonnie Arndt and Bethany Bonnema, represented the students with speeches to a full Riverside Arena audience.

Arndt took students through his life from high school to the present with a series of hats. The first was an Austin High School cap. The next two hats were from his service in the National Guard.

"… and now today I can proudly wear another hat," he said, placing his graduation cap back on his head.

He talked about the friends he's made at Riverland and told students the future would not be easy.

"We are given the huge task of taking over for the baby boomers, our parents," he said.

Bonnema told about how she met a man with a very special nickel in his change pocket. He had carried it throughout his life, through personal struggles and the Vietnam war.

He gave her some advice.

"All you ever need to go through life is your faith and your family," he told her.

Bonnema said those two things are the nickel everyone can hold through tough spots in life.

"It's times like this that we all need our little nickel," she said. "We need to have something to hang onto for that leap of faith … Today I hope all of you can find you own nickel of experience and trust yourself to take that leap of faith."

Former Olmsted County Sheriff, soldier and preacher Capt. Harry R. Kerr gave an animated speech that found connections between military service and service to the community after finishing school. He challenged students to not cheat themselves and to value every day of their lives.

He told the graduates they were important and thanked them for their role in supporting small towns, which are "the backbone of freedom."

He talked about the flag, and compared the blood symbolized by the red stripes to the work in cram sessions students put in to get to graduation.

Jared Gardner said Kerr's speech was very good. He was impressed with what all the speakers had to say.

Gardner received an Associate of Arts degree at the ceremony. He plans to take some more math classes at Riverland next fall before applying to Winona State University. Gardner said his time at Riverland renewed his conviction to continue school.

"It's been a rebuilding experience for me," he said. "I feel like it's given me a real boost in confidence and got me in a good frame of mind, where I want to be."

Karma Nipp received an Administrative Legal Assistant degree. After 13 years working with mentally disabled people, she decided to change her career. She said she got a lot of support as a non-traditional student at Riverland.

"The instructors are wonderful," she said. "They're the greatest thing. They always encouraged me."

Jenny Broitzman, who also graduated with an Administrative Legal Assistant degree, is a single mother who had to work her way through school. She is the only one of six children in her family to go through college.

"I've worked for a long time and went to school," she said. "It's a wonderful achievement."

Matt Merritt can be reached at 434-2214 or by email at matt.merritt@austindailyherald.com