About 1,400 graduates of Collin College will receive their degrees at two separate commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 15.

Both events will be held at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center, 200 E. Stacy Road, in Allen.

At 11 a.m., the ceremony will celebrate students graduating with academic certificates, Associate of Applied Science degrees or bachelor’s degrees. 

The commencement address will be delivered by Aaron Demerson, president and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation. Demerson previously served as the commissioner representing employers on the Texas Workforce Commission, where he advocated for over 660,000 employers and over 3 million small businesses.

A 4 p.m. ceremony will celebrate dual credit students or those graduating with Associate of Arts, Associate of Science or Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees.

Plano Police Chief Ed Drain will serve as the commencement speaker. A U.S. Army veteran, Drain joined the department in 1994, later leaving to serve as Amarillo police chief before returning in 2020 to lead Plano PD.

The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College serves approximately 60,000 credit and continuing education students per year. 

The school offers more than 200 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cybersecurity, Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management, Bachelor of Applied Science in Clinical Operations Management and a new Bachelor of Applied Technology in Software Development.

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