Stark State awards 291 associate degrees at January commencement

NORTH CANTON, Ohio, Jan. 5, 2026 – Stark State College graduated 268 students at its fall commencement on Sunday, Jan. 4, at the Canton Memorial Civic Center.

The College awarded 291 associate degrees in business, education, engineering technologies, health, human and public services, information technology, liberal arts, mathematics and sciences.

The commencement speaker was Linda Remark, Ph.D., the College’s 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award winner and professor of reading at Stark State. Dr. Remark earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a focus on literacy from Kent State University, a Master of Arts in integrated teaching and learning from The Ohio State University, and a Bachelor of Science in middle childhood education from The University of Akron. A dedicated researcher and presenter, she has shared her work on literacy, critical media literacy and student success at conferences nationwide. Her publications also appear in journals such as the Journal of College Reading & Learning and the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.