Southern State Community College will hold its 48th commencement ceremony on Friday, May 3 at 7 p.m. in the Patriot Center on the Central Campus in Hillsboro.
Delivering this year’s address to the graduates is Charles Gorman. A 1972 graduate of Hillsboro High School, Charlie grew up in southern Ohio – Adams and Highland Counties. He completed his Bachelor of Arts and was a master’s candidate in ministry at Abilene Christian University. He then earned his master’s degree at Xavier University and post-graduate endorsement for his independent licensed counselor status at the University of Dayton.
Charlie has worked in all levels of the people-helping professions. These various roles include serving as a chemical dependency counselor, pastoral counselor, professor, mental health clinician, crisis counselor, clinical supervisor, and executive director for a combined total of 50 years of service.
He began his career as an ordained minister serving churches in Ohio, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.
In the state of Ohio, Charlie currently holds an independent license serving as a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. He has taught at Southern State since 1998 as a professor in the Human and Social Services program, which he has considered his dream job.
Carl Rogers, an American Psychologist and shining example to Charlie, believed all people need acceptance, unconditional love, and positive regard to thrive in this world. Similar to Rogers beliefs, Charlie’s mantra to life is quite simple – “All people will bloom like flowers when nurtured in a fertile garden. Love covers a multitude of problems.”