Years of prayer, support, and the hard work of the Senior Class culminated in the first graduation ceremony of Trinity’s campus within Waupun Correctional Institution on July 27th, 2021. It was a special day for everyone involved but most especially for the students, who have navigated difficult and unforeseen circumstances throughout their time in the program on their way to earning Bachelors’ Degrees.
Pastor Robin Knoll and Dr. Craig Long shared their perspective on the journey it has been for the Senior Class. They reflected on both the highs and lows of the past four years, and expressed their admiration for the patience, resilience, and determination of the Seniors. Trinity’s President, Nicholas Perrin, shared how impressive of an accomplishment it is for the Seniors to have earned this degree in such a difficult environment. There were no shortcuts to graduation. The coursework required some 30,000 pages of reading assignments, 900 single-spaced typed pages of writing, 1,250 hours of classroom interaction and endless hours of additional self-study within the confines of the students’ rooms. The Seniors certainly earned their degrees, an amazing accomplishment which required an enormous amount of work.
For many of us, the highlight of the ceremony came when one of the Seniors shared about his time within the program. It was an authentic reflection of a four-year journey which, in his words, gave him a reason to keep going. He offered a deep and profound expression of gratitude for all involved who helped make this possible, and he encouraged his fellow classmates that this wasn’t the end but only the beginning as they now put into practice the principles they’ve learned over the past four years.
For many of the Seniors, the graduation ceremony offered them the first opportunity to see family members since before the COVID pandemic over 18 months ago. And for many of the families, the first time seeing their loved ones in nearly two years was watching them walk across the stage in their graduation gowns. It was a special moment made possible by the generous support of so many of you.
Plans for the incoming Freshman Class are moving along. Applications are currently being reviewed, and classes are scheduled to begin in November.
While we wish you all could have attended in person, please take a moment to view the press clips below to gain a glimpse into the graduation ceremony.