Colorado Mountain College celebrated the achievements of its Class of 2024 on Saturday.

The ceremony, held at the Outdoor Leadership Center and Field House at CMC Spring Valley in Glenwood Springs, brought together graduates from the Spring Valley, Aspen, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs campuses who completed their studies during the summer and fall of 2023 and spring of 2024. Separate ceremonies honored the Colorado Law Enforcement Training Academy graduates on Thursday and Spring Valley’s nursing graduates on Saturday morning.

Keynote speaker Mario Carrera, CEO of Colorado Latino Leadership, addressed the graduates during the general commencement ceremony at noon. Carrera, a former chief revenue officer of Entravision and advisory board member of CMC’s Isaacson School for Communication, Arts, and Media, shared insights and encouragement with the graduating class.

This year, a total of 421 graduates from the Roaring Fork Valley campuses earned bachelor’s and associate degrees, certificates and diplomas. The Roaring Fork Valley campus saw a significant number of graduates in various academic programs, including Associate of Arts, emergency medical technician (EMT), nursing, Fire Academy, photography and computer technician.

Across all 11 campuses, Colorado Mountain College celebrated a total of 1,554 graduates, marking a notable 23.5% increase in graduate completions compared with the previous class. Graduates hailed from diverse academic backgrounds, with achievements spanning 66 distinct programs such as business administration, leadership and management, early childhood education, digital media, and nurse aide.

Lyan Faina Sanchez, a Ceremonial Marshall and graduate with associate degrees in outdoor education and science, expressed gratitude for the opportunities provided by CMC. 

“I’m very grateful for the many opportunities CMC has given me,” Sanchez said. “It has been a lot of hard work and effort, and I couldn’t be more proud of all the accomplishments I’ve been able to achieve.”

Sanchez, who originally hails from Panama, shared her journey to CMC and the impact the college has had on her.

“I grew up in Panama and I never expected to be where I am today,” Sanchez said. “CMC has granted me so many opportunities and it really is an honor to be standing here today walking across that stage.”