‘This is where your journey starts’: Nearly 500 take part in largest Dixie Tech commencement ever

Written by Bridger Palmer
April 26, 2024

ST. GEORGE — During what Dixie Technical College President Jordan Rushton called the highest energy he’s ever seen out of his nine commencements, a display of caps and gowns saw almost 500 future mechanics, tech professionals and engineers hear their names called, with one graduate even ready to shift gears at Ferrari.

Another graduate shakes hands with college faculty during the Dixie Technical College commencement ceremony, St. George, Utah, April 25, 2024 | Photo by Bridger Palmer, St. George News

Dixie Technical College conducted commencement exercises at the M. Anthony Burns Arena at Utah Tech on Thursday evening. A record 1,123 students were eligible to participate in the ceremony.

One of those graduates was student speaker Dylan Alexander, an automotive technology major. Alexander said he was unsure about the path he would take in life and that Dixie Tech gave him direction. It has also given him employment. He said he has accepted a role as an apprentice technician for Ferrari in Las Vegas, Nevada.

That news had been kept secret from Alexander’s family. The reveal was worth it, he said.

“It was amazing to see my family’s reaction to where I was working,” Alexander said.

His wife Brianne said she is excited to see his hard work pay off.

“I’ve seen the tirelessness,” Brianne Alexander said. “It’s just so cool to see he has this opportunity.”

Other speakers included Utah 2nd District Congresswoman Celeste Maloy, whose speech was brief, but attendees said it was memorable … despite what Maloy might say.

“I called some friends and asked for their advice on giving a graduation speech,” Maloy said. “They told me the graduates probably won’t remember much of what you say, and nobody will ever be mad if you finish early.”

Maloy is an attorney, as is her sister. She has three brothers, two of whom are engineers and the other a doctor. The baby sibling is a welder.

“But it’s him who is one of the smartest people I know,” Maloy said.

Her point was that hands-on training, such as the education offered at Dixie Technical College, is invaluable.

U.S. Congresswoman Celeste Maloy addresses the 2024 Dixie Technical College graduating class, St. George, Utah, April 25, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Murphy, St. George News

This year’s ceremony set a record not only in the number of graduates but also attendees, with over 3,000 guests present. The graduation celebrated a 93% placement rate of graduates obtaining jobs in their field of study or continuing their education.

Dixie Technical College’s graduation came from humble beginnings. Established in 2001, the inaugural class had just 26 adult students and 200 high school students graduate.

The college usually sees about a 20% increase year over year. Rushton said this class exceeded that number.

“As of today, we’re 24% over where we were last year,” Rushton said. “I think that Dixie Tech is being recognized; people are seeing what we’re doing and want to be a part of it.”

Rushton, having attended nine Dixie Tech graduations, said there is an energy about this year’s class that he hasn’t seen from previous groups. He offered advice for the students to take with them.

“Keep striving, keep working and keep building,” Rushton said. “This is where your journey starts. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of everything that comes your way.”

Alexander certainly has. He called Dixie Technical College “a place where dreams can come true.”

“Each of us has a dream that we want to do with our lives,” Alexander said as he neared the end of his speech. “There’s no reason you can’t accomplish those dreams. You can do it. We can all make our dreams come true.”

And quoting Enzo Ferrari, the legendary Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, Alexander closed by saying: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Photo Gallery

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bridger Palmer was born in St. George, Utah, before being raised in the Inland Empire in Southern California. He was inspired to pursue journalism because he was an avid reader of Bill Simmons’ sports and popular culture blog, Grantland. Palmer wrote a screenplay in 2020 and launched his own website, newgrantland.com, shortly thereafter. He worked his way from proofreader to editorial assistant at a weekly newspaper in Redlands, California. He returned to Southern Utah in late 2023.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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