NORTH CANTON, Ohio, May 6, 2025 – Stark State College is expected to graduate 637 students at its spring commencement Sunday, May 18, at 2 p.m. at the Canton Memorial Civic Center and streaming live on YouTube.

The College expects to award 735 associate degrees in business, education, engineering technologies, health, human and public services, information technology, liberal arts, mathematics and sciences.

This year’s commencement speaker will be State Senator Jane Timken. Timken was appointed to the Ohio State Senate representing the 29th District. She is currently the Republican National Committeewoman representing Ohio and was the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party from 2017 to 2021.

“Ohio has high demand for skilled workers in health care, manufacturing, information technology, and transportation and logistics,” said Timken. “Stark State graduates are in an ideal position to obtain those positions because of the opportunities for degrees in those field, for example, computer engineering and information technology, nursing, medical technology, petroleum technology and many others.”

Timken began her legal career with Black McCuskey. She served as a magistrate and law clerk to the Honorable Judge Sara Lioi in the Court of Common Pleas, Stark County, Ohio, and worked with the Soles Law Offices.

She has served on numerous community and charitable boards in Ohio including Henry and Loise Timken Foundation, ArtsinStark, Trillium Family Solutions, Center for Grief Counseling & Education, Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation, North Canton Medical Foundation, Stark Education Partnership and the board of Trustees of Kent State University.

Timken is a graduate of Harvard College. She received her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C. Born in Cincinnati, she lives in Stark County with her husband W.J. Timken Jr. (Tim). She is a mother of two children.

Friends and family are invited to watch the livestream of commencement at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqL7Ae55t-0.