COLUMBIA — Columbia State Community College celebrated 162 graduates walking across the stage during fall commencement on December 13, with 478 students in total earning degrees and certificates for Fall 2025. Guest speaker Robert Rogers, a Columbia native and dealer principal at Parks Motor Sales, shared three stories he said would resonate with the graduates' journey ahead.
Rogers drew on a naval concept of "skylarking"—sailors enjoying their freedom while docked—as a metaphor for the graduates' next chapter. "With this new freedom you're stepping into, with all these possibilities in front of you, 'Go do a little skylarking,'" he told the class. He also reflected on the "road angels" who support ultramarathon runners with food and encouragement, challenging graduates to shift their focus from personal achievement to helping others. "What if more of us chose to be the angel instead?" he asked. His final message centered on the value of time: don't waste the pennies you have left in life—invest them wisely in relationships and in ways that affect the world long after you're gone.
Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president, opened the ceremony by celebrating the graduates' accomplishments. "Today is a special day because these graduates set a goal and accomplished it," she said. Rogers serves on the Columbia State Foundation Board and is active in the community through the Columbia Kiwanis Club and other civic organizations.