NJC graduates honor three faculty members at commencement ceremony

Northeastern Junior College graduates used their commencement stage to do more than collect diplomas. They publicly singled out three faculty members, Larry Pollart, Kevin Stump and Brian Lewton, as the people who helped turn hard work into a degree and a future.

The Joel E. Mack Award was presented during Friday’s ceremonies at the Bank of Colorado Event Center main arena, putting student gratitude on display in front of families, classmates and college leaders. NJC said no tickets were required for guests, and the day also included a reception in the Chuckwagon Cafe.

The award carries a long campus history. NJC said the Joel E. Mack Award has been part of its tradition since 1983 and honors the memory of Joel Evan Mack, a former NJC student. The honor is selected by the student body, which gives it a different weight from an internal employee recognition. It is a student judgment about who made the biggest difference.

Pollart, Stump and Lewton represent three different corners of the college. NJC lists Pollart as animal science faculty, Stump as physics and math faculty, and Lewton as economics faculty. Pollart also serves as the contact person for the Aggies Club, a sign that his influence reaches beyond the classroom and into student life. Lewton was named NJC’s Rising Star Instructor of the Year in 2021, another indication that students were honoring a professor already known for making an impact.

The ceremony reflected the kind of mentorship that can shape a small-college experience in Sterling and across Logan County. NJC describes itself as a two-year public community college on the north edge of Sterling, and it became part of the Colorado community college system in July 1997. In that setting, faculty relationships often stretch beyond lectures and labs into advising, encouragement and career guidance.

NJC has repeatedly used commencement as the setting for the Joel E. Mack Award, including ceremonies in 2021, 2022 and 2023 that also recognized three faculty members each year. That continuity matters because it shows the award is not just a ceremony add-on. It is a standing tradition that links graduating students to the educators who helped them cross the finish line and, in many cases, stay connected to the community after graduation.