Nearly everyone remembers education twice a year — when school starts in the fall, and when graduates celebrate in the spring. At Southern Maine Community College, education is our year-round passion. We exist to help people and communities achieve their dreams.

A total of 1,074 proud individuals were eligible to participate in SMCC’s commencement ceremonies last Saturday, joined by an audience of 3,500 family members and friends who were even more proud.

It was the largest graduating class in our 67-year history. Our faculty and staff were especially proud, because the class of 2013 included the first-ever graduates from our Midcoast Campus in Brunswick.

It’s worth noting that, on average, our Midcoast Campus graduates, along with graduates of SMCC’s nearby Bath Center, proved to be a little older and a little more focused than their peers. Their overall grade-point average was an admirable 3.2, while the class average was a respectable 3.1.

And the average age of our Brunswick and Bath graduates was 34 years, compared with a class average of 29 years.

Of course, many 18- to 22-yearolds are enrolled in classes at all SMCC locations, but many of our students are older than one might guess. A 67-year-old graduate picked up a diploma last Saturday.

With degrees safely in hand, the future is brightening for these graduates. They will move forward in their careers as nurses, managers, composite technicians, marine designers, culinary artists, machinists, business owners, firefighters, electricians, horticulturists and more. Ninety-three percent of these SMCC graduates will soon find jobs in their fields or go on to pursue their next goals in higher education.

Over their lifetimes, each will earn $1.7 million more as an associate’s degree holder. For those entering high-demand fields such as health care or public safety, their earnings could outpace those of some of their colleagues with bachelor’s degrees. But trends shift over time, and we encourage every student to go as far as they can at whatever college or university fits best.

Success, yes — but at what cost?

Let’s talk about excessive debt. In this era when student loan debt has outpaced other types of debt, one can often expect to spend $50,000 to $200,000 on a college education. In sharp contrast, SMCC’s tuition will be $88 per credit-hour next year, or $2,640 for a whole year (two semesters) of full-time study. Even if you add in fees, our total cost is approximately $3,350 per year — a college degree that comes with little or no debt.

With substantially reduced debt, SMCC graduates enjoy fast returns on their investment. Within a year of graduating from SMCC, they will see their paychecks increase 73 percent, on average.

Caps and gowns have been returned to closets as our attention turns to our next class. Summer session starts this week and students can sign up through June 3. At $88 per credit hour why not take a class or two to avoid the fall rush?

We’ll keep on graduating success stories, but the coming years will bring new challenges. After a decade of tremendous growth, we’ve reached some limits as economic and demographic trends shift. Like so many other institutions, we’ll have to trim budgets and do more with fewer resources. Through it all, we’ll strengthen our culture of service as we engage and respect each student.

Decades from now, SMCC will still empower students to respond to a changing world; we’ll still enhance Maine’s economy and culture. SMCC will change with the times, and we’ll become a better college every day.

RONALD G. CANTOR, Ph.D., is president of Southern Maine Community College.