Three generations of grads walk together

Three generations of the McRight family walked to “Pomp and Circumstance” on Saturday during McNeese State University’s spring commencement.

Retired Maj. Kelly McRight, Class of 1962, walked with fellow members of the Golden Scholars Society as the Class of 1969 was recognized on its 50th anniversary, while his son, Jason McRight, graduated with a master’s degree in criminal justice, and his grandson, Blake McRight, received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.

Kelly graduated from Mc-Neese with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and business.

“When I attended McNeese, there were only the science and administration buildings, the auditorium, gymnasium and the dorm,” he said.

Kelly said he had a great experience at McNeese.

“My degree opened a lot of doors for me. After I graduated, I worked extensively in the agricultural field before joining the U.S. Army and retiring after 29 years of service.”

He also returned to his alma mater to teach ROTC from 1989 to 1993.

Jason, who also has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from McNeese (1997) is the director for planning and research at the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Although he said he has a short time before retirement, he wanted to return to Mc-Neese for his master’s degree.

“This was a personal goal of mine,” he said. “I chose McNeese because it’s local, affordable and because the degree is 100 percent online. This makes it very easy for someone who’s working full time to take classes. That flexibility was an important factor.”

Blake said both his grandfather’s and father’s experiences at McNeese influenced his decision to attend.

“McNeese’s chemical engineering program provides the same quality of education as programs at larger universities and it’s so close to home,” he said. “McNeese was the clear choice for me.”

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Ashlee Lhamon is a graduate assistant at McNeese State University.