Helena College celebrates 2024 graduates

Students at Helena College's airport campus were recognized for their hard work and achievement Friday night.

At the first of two graduation ceremonies for the college this weekend.

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"I really enjoyed sharing time with people that I share interests with. It's a good experience," said Mason Roush, a student who graduated on Friday.

He is a 19-year-old from Helena, and he graduated with a two-year degree in aviation maintenance technology.

Roush said, "It's five semesters in total, and I'm done now."

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He decided on trade school for the hands-on experience.

"To be able to work on something at the same time fits me best, I suppose, [rather] than sitting in a classroom all day," Roush said.

Students at the airport campus graduate with a degree in a trade program, such as CNC machining, automotive technology, or industrial welding and metal fabrication.

Another graduate is McKenna Mozingo, who now has a degree in fire sciences.

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She said, "I want to continue in fire, whether it's wildland or structure, I don't really know yet."

Mozingo is 20 years old and lives in Frenchtown.

She has spent the past two years completing online courses through Helena College and the past three being part of Frenchtown's fire residency.

"[It] feels really nice. It's a big stress relief to be able to focus on the job and not college and that at the same time," Mozingo said.

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She also enjoyed getting real-life experiences in her career path.

Mozingo said, "[It] got way more fun when you're learning about fire prevention and the building construction stuff - that made it a lot more interesting."

Graduation for Helena College's Donaldson campus is on Saturday.