Pueblo Community College Southwest (PCCSW) will recognize its 2025 graduates, Saturday, May 17 at Montezuma-Cortez High School in Cortez, Colo.; the ceremony is set to take place at noon. Graduates from PCC’s four divisions – arts and sciences, business and advanced technology, medical and behavioral health, and health professions and public safety – will receive their degrees and certificates. The event is free and open to the public. 

Of the 150 students graduating this year, seven earned a bachelor’s degree. The 2025 graduating class also includes 69 high school students who participated in PCC’s concurrent enrollment program. Through concurrent enrollment, high schoolers earn college credit and tuition is paid by their school district, potentially saving them and their families thousands of dollars. 

Each year, a PCC committee selects one Southwest campus graduate as the President’s Distinguished Scholar. The award goes to a student who demonstrates exceptional academic achievement and commitment to excellence. This year’s recipient is April Salvatore. Salvatore will graduate with an associate degree in elementary education and transfer this fall to Fort Lewis College to earn her bachelor’s degree.