Northern celebrates 88th graduating class

A chilly, blustery overcast day didn't dampen the spirits of the candidates for graduation at Montana State University-Northern's 88th Commencement or of the overflow crowd gathered Saturday for the ceremonies in Northern's Armory Gymnasium.

"So here we are, sometime between two and however many years it took, we're done with college," ASMSUN President Christopher Brekke-George said in his welcome address.

"I want to start by saying congratulations to the 281 students graduating today," he said, "to talk about the day you have worked so hard to get to, a day that so many friends and families have been waiting for.

"And I hope that you are excited about graduating," Brekke-George added.  "I bet your family is, and I know mine is.

"Today also ends a journey that has shaped you and helped get you the knowledge to be successful, not just with a career, but with life," he said.

The ceremonies included an invocation and benediction by Pastor Brian Barrows of Abundant Life Church, presentation and retiring of the colors by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard, performances of The Academic Processional, The National Anthem and The Recessional by the MSU-Northern Community Orchestra, and an honor song by Assiniboine Cree.

Provost Neil Moise recognized a variety of students who had received recognition, and Chancellor Greg Kegel thanked all of the faculty and staff who had helped students earn their degrees. He also recognized that retired Professor Mary Pappas had received professor emeritus status from the Montana Board of Regents during its September meeting.

The ceremonies also included the recognition of 15 Golden Graduates, Northern graduates from 1959 to 1969.

"These graduates are an inspiration to us all " Kegel said.

Northern Alumni Foundation Director Jim Bennett told the group during a luncheon Friday in the Vande Bogart Library that they were the largest group of Golden Graduates to attend a graduation ceremony at Northern since the 1990s.

Kegel told the Golden Grads during Friday's luncheon about work completed at Northern such as the 1-year-old Diesel Technology Center and work underway, including raising funds to build a football and multisports center on campus and the Legislature that ended last month authorizing Northern to raise funds to rejuvenate Donaldson Hall on campus.

See more about the Golden Graduates luncheon and about Kegel's comments in upcoming editions of the Havre Daily News.

Kegel said Saturday that the Class of 2019 is an amazing class.

"Yesterday I got to hear amazing stories from our Golden Graduates; last night more amazing stories from our past graduates that won our Founders' Day Excellence Awards," he said. "All of those stories have a common theme: If it wasn't for Northern, I wouldn't be where I am today.

"Graduates, what you have accomplished to be sitting here today is monumental, the dedication, the persistence, the sacrifice and your hard work," Kegel added. "I know it wasn't easy but I am confident your stories will be similar to the stories I have heard all work."

He noted that the Lights wrestlers were named the No. 1 academic team in the nation, as well as taking 10th in the nation.

Kegel said Northern's wrestling coach Tyson Thivierge was more excited about winning the academic award than he would have been winning the national title.

"We've got a lot of national titles hanging up on the ceiling here, but that's the first time we've ever won that one," Kegel said.

Northern's graduation speaker, CEO and co-owner of C&B Operations LLC Matthew Cronin, has strong ties to Northern - along with sitting on Northern's Diesel Advisory Board, his youngest son, Carl, is a student at the university and a member of the Lights wrestling team.

Kegel said that Matthew Cronin's wife, his childhood sweetheart, Janet, also was in the audience.

Kegel said C&B Operations, based out of Cronin's home town of Gettysburg, South Dakota, is one of the largest and most successful farm implement dealership chains in the nation, owning and operating 37 John Deere dealerships in South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Minnesota and Iowa, as well as a diesel pump repair business. The company employes 850 people.

Cronin gave the graduating class five pieces of advice: Say thank you, do the right thing, earn respect, get involved and be happy

He said his own story has elements of that advice.

He was the middle son of six children on the family farm and ranch west of Gettysburg - a town of about 1,000 people - that his grandfather homesteaded. His two older brothers wanted to work on the farm and ranch but, he added, he was somewhat mediocre working there, so he ended up going to Notre Dame and earned a business degree.

He then went to work for Kraft Foods, starting in Chicago.

In 1988, he said, the local John Deere dealership was in trouble, so his father and a friend of his father bought it to keep it open.

"It saved 13 jobs in town and kept the local business alive," he said.

By 1998 they had bought more stores for a total of 15 in several states.

But in January 1999, his father was diagnosed with cancer and died four months later at age 60.

Cronin said he agreed to come back and take over C&B Operations, which was having some troubles and the family feared it would drag the family farm down.

"So even though I knew nothing about the John Deere business, Janet and I found ourselves moving our young family back to Gettysburg and diving in," he said. "So I went from selling Kool-Aid, 13-cent packets, to selling tractors. How hard can it be, right?

"Well, 20 years into it, I truly feel it was meant to be. It certainly wasn't in our life plans, but our kids have been formed by the rural hometown environment that we both grew up in."

And he and his wife are heavily involved in the community, he said.

He said Northern's Class of 2019 has many advantages. As Generation Z, it has more experience with technology and has more access to information, has been exposed to more, "some of it not good," and can communicate better than ever before, even without speaking.

Other advantages include the graduates' background and their accomplishments.

"Most notably today your MSU-Northern degree," he added " ... This is really a good school and has developed a good reputation with employers in Montana and across the nation. So take advantage of that."

So, he said, first, the graduates should thank everyone who helped them get to get their degree.

"As a matter of fact, let's be dorky - on three, holler out thank you - one, two, three. Now you can say you thanked them," he said.

Second, he said, do the right thing, always.

"Your moral compass is the most important thing you can control in your life," Cronin said.

His third point was to earn the respect of others, including always finding ways to improve.

"We all can be better," he said, adding that people should ask their employers and supervisors how they can be better at work.

"So ask. Open that door," he said, "Sure it might sting a little bit and they might even be wrong, but if you're truly trying to better yourself it's necessary for your long-term growth and you'll be happy you did."

His fourth point was to get involved, both at work and in the community.

"At work, you're part of a team ... involve yourself, help your team become stronger through your presence," Cronin siad. "When something isn't right get involved and speak up to address it."

And they should get involved in their community - church, government, city, county, boards, clubs, organizations, anything, he said.

"It is the only way there will be a rural America generations from now," he said. "Get involved in your community. ... The smaller the community the more they need you."

Fifth, he said, choose to be happy.

"Focus on what you can control," Cronin said. "Life does not always bounce the way you want it, but it does have a way of working out if you keep a positive attitude. Enjoy that ride. Don't focus only on the destination.

"Look at my situation," he said, "20 years ago I would have never thought I would be back in South Dakota and jumping into a family business, and I wasn't happy about it at the time. Now I wouldn't change it for anything."