Lisa Lovallo, vice president and system manager for Cox Communications in Southern Arizona, will address the 2009 graduating class of Cochise College during commencement ceremonies Friday, May 15 at the Douglas Campus.

Nearly 900 students are eligible to participate in the event. The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. and will take place on the lawn next to the Charles Di Peso Library. The program will also be available in its entirety at www.cochise.edu, allowing viewers to see everything from the processional to the last graduate crossing the stage.

A native of Tucson, Lovallo is active in state and local community issues involving education, economic development, the environment, and human services. This year she was named a Woman of Influence by Inside Tucson Business.

This year’s student speaker is Hannah Vaughan, a full-time student at the Sierra Vista Campus. Member of the All-Arizona First Team and a Coca Cola Silver Scholar, Vaughan plans on transferring to Northern Arizona University with the goal of becoming a translator and interpreter. A single mother and hard-working student, she considers it “a pleasure to have studied with many wonderful students and faculty/administration during my years at Cochise College, and both myself and my son have spent many enjoyable days there.” Honored to have been selected to address her fellow graduates, Vaughan’s topic is Stepping Up to the Challenge; she will focus on the economic recession and the challenges this graduating class will face.

A special candlelight ceremony recognizing this year’s nursing class will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14 at the Douglas Campus. Nearly 100 students are eligible to earn certification as practical or registered nurses.

That ceremony will not be broadcast on the Internet.