Congratulations 2013 Los Altos College Graduates!

Written by L.A. Chung

Los Altos Patch salutes seven students from our communities who have just completed one of the most important milestones in their lives.

From here, may the road rise up to meet you. We know you may leave Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, and we wish you good luck in your endeavors.

Bard College

Katherine Corn of Los Altos recently graduated from Bard College at Simon's Rock with an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. Corn attended Mountain View High School before leaving after 10th grade to enter college early.

Corn was one of 124 students to graduate from the early college on Saturday, May 18, 2013. Fifty two undergraduates received their B.A. degrees and 72 received their A.A. degrees. 

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered the commencement address. In his speech, "Economic Prospects for the Long Run," Bernanke told the early college graduates they would have to reinvent themselves many times during their working lives, saying "Success and satisfaction will not come from mastering a fixed body of knowledge but from constant adaptation and creativity in a rapidly changing world. Engaging with and applying new technologies will be a crucial part of that adaptation."

Chairman Bernanke's son graduated from Simon's Rock, located in Great Barrington, MA in 2006. Bard College at Simon's Rock, was founded in 1966, and is the only college in the country specifically designed for bright, highly motivated students ready to enter college early, usually after the 10th or 11th grade. Degrees are granted in 41 concentrations. Simon's Rock became part of the Bard College network in 1979.

Bowdoin College

Mai-Anh Nguyen of Los Altos graduated from Bowdoin College, with a major in Psychology and a minor in English.

The College's 208th Commencement exercises were held Saturday, May 25, 2013, when bachelor of arts degrees were awarded to 452 students from 42 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 14 foreign countries and territories.

Bowdoin College is a liberal arts college located in Brunswick, Maine, about 25 miles north of Maine's largest city, Portland. One of the oldest colleges in the nation, it received its charter in 1794 and enrolls approximately 1,750 students from across the country and around the world.

Clark University

Allison M. Hampel, of Los Altos, cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in management on May 19.

During the 109th Commencement exercises, Clark awarded 523 baccalaureate, 541 master's, and 32 doctoral degrees. Carolyn Mugar, executive director of Farm Aid, and founder of the Armenia Tree Project, delivered the Commencement address.

Founded in 1887 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Clark University describes itself as a small, liberal arts-based research university addressing social and human imperatives on a global scale. www.clarku.edu

Purdue University

Purdue University has awarded Rupesh Gupta of Los Altos, CA, a MS in Electrical & Computer Engineering degree.

About 3,300 degrees were awarded to students following the fall semester at the West Lafayette, Indiana-based college.

Rice University 

 Joshua Mrozack of Los Altos, graduated from Rice University in Houston, Texas, on May 11, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Bioengineering. 

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson delivered the commencement address. This year Rice awarded 1,801 degrees, including 964 undergraduate and undergraduate professional degrees and 837 graduate degrees (master's and Ph.D.s).

Southern Methodist University

Amanda Hix, a resident of Los Altos Hills, received a Bachelor of Arts in political science, psychology during the May 2013 SMU Commencement ceremony.

SMU is a nationally ranked private university in Dallas founded 100 years ago. Today, SMU enrolls nearly 11,000 students who benefit from the academic opportunities and international reach of seven degree-granting schools.