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Butler Community College held its 78th annual Honors and Awards Recognition Ceremony on Friday, May 15, 2026, recognizing students for academic excellence, leadership and scholarship achievement during the 2025–26 academic year. Nearly $30,000 in scholarship funding was awarded during the ceremony. Students earning Order of the Purple and Order of the Gold honors were recognized during the ceremony. To receive an Order of the Purple designation, students must earn a GPA of 3.75 or higher, while Order of the Gold recipients must attain a 4.0 GPA. Each year, the Butler Community College

Butler Community College held its 99th Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 15, 2026, celebrating more than 800 graduates as members of the Class of 2026. Forty-six students also earned GED diplomas or high school equivalency credentials through Butler. Graduates also earned well over $500,000 in transfer scholarships and educational funding opportunities. In her first commencement message as President of Butler Community College, Dr. Tamara Daniel encouraged graduates to embrace growth and move confidently into the future. “You do not have to have everything figured out,” Daniel said. “What

Click to view photo album. Butler’s largest ever graduating Nursing class earned their pins on Thursday, May 14 during the spring Nurses Pinning ceremony. Held in the Power Plant gymnasium on the El Dorado campus, nursing graduates gathered for the final time before commencement with their peers, instructors and support systems. Janet Schueller, associate dean of health, education and public services, recognized the graduates and the effort, determination and pure grit they each demonstrated. “We hope you will be inspired to blaze your own path in your nursing career.” Schueller read words of

Journalists in Butler’s student newspaper and magazine, The Lantern and The Grizzly, received awards from the Kansas Collegiate Media conference. The publications earned just under 20 individual awards altogether. The Grizzly magazine received two awards. Kaylin Bergeron of Overland Park earned second place for Journalist of the Year for both newspaper and magazine entries. Bergeron is a freelance journalist for the magazine. The magazine is advised by faculty member Amy Hornbaker and produces a few issues during the school year. This year’s staff includes Bergeron, Isaac Rich and Josiah Rich

Click to view photo album. Butler Community College held the 18th annual Student Life Awards and Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, May 7. Students, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate nominees and recipients for various award categories. “We’re here to recognize the many ways that students lead, serve, encourage others and help make Butler a stronger community,” President Dr. Tamara Daniel said. “We’re also here to recognize the staff who support them.” Micah Payne of Andover won the Business Student Leadership Award. Payne serves as president of Collegiate DECA and is an active member of

Butler Community College recognized outstanding faculty achievements during its annual Teaching Excellence Recognition Dinner, honoring full-time and adjunct instructors for excellence, innovation and impact in the classroom. This year’s Full-Time Teaching Excellence Award was presented to Jeff Meyer, a biology instructor retiring at the end of the academic year after 17 years at Butler. Students described Meyer as supportive, engaging and deeply committed to student success through review sessions, individualized help and real-world examples in the classroom. “It means a lot to receive this

Butler Community College honored 125 students during the Early College Academy (ECA) graduation celebration on Saturday, May 9, recognizing graduates who completed college-level coursework while still in high school. The ECA offers high school students a head start in their academic and career journeys through a variety of pathway and certificate options. Students spend part of their day at their respective high schools and the remainder on a Butler campus, including El Dorado, Andover or Rose Hill, depending on their chosen pathway. Professor of Biology Melissa Elliott delivered faculty

Butler Community College’s theater program brought fast-paced comedy and bold physical storytelling to the stage with its recent production of The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare, performed April 16–18. Directed by Erin Urick, the production re-imagined the classic farce through the lens of Commedia dell’Arte, an Italian Renaissance performance style known for exaggerated movement, distinct stock characters and expressive masks. Butler students embraced the challenge, transforming the play into a vibrant, highly physical experience designed to engage audiences from the first moment.

Butler Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter received recognition at the state, regional and international levels this year, highlighted by seven students being named to the prestigious All-Kansas Academic Team. The All-Kansas Academic Team recognizes outstanding community college students for academic achievement, leadership and service. Butler students honored in the Workforce pathway were Woosung Lee, Emmanuela Lum Forbacha and Allison Voges. Students recognized in the Transfer pathway were Fay Belair, Blayke Locke, Ritu Niroula and Misty Rueda. “I consider it a great honor and

Butler’s eight Vocal Music student ensembles continue to be a community gem, both on campus and in the surrounding area. Performers sing, dance and play instruments to dazzle audiences. They build professional skills and lifelong connections under the direction of experienced coaches: Valerie Mack, Matthew Udland, Chad Ingram, Amanda Pfenninger and Doris Prater. Although live performances are the highlight of these ensembles, the rehearsals and time spent together off-stage will forever be a memorable experience for these students. "I’m so much more outgoing than I ever used to be and