FORT DRUM, N.Y. (May 14, 2026) -- Fort Drum Soldiers, family members, veterans, and civilians were applauded for pursuing their goals of higher education and earning academic certificates during the Graduation Recognition Ceremony on May 13 inside the Multipurpose Auditorium.

A couple of years ago, First Sgt. Michael Williamson was at the National Training Center in California, where Soldiers test their proficiency in a high-intensity, large-scale combat training environment. When he wasn’t conducting resupply missions or jumps, Williamson pored over his Shakespeare.

He had a book report due for class.

And while “Much Ado About Nothing” might not have been as riveting as battlefield scenarios, Williamson completed the task using a portable satellite internet terminal to submit the paper.

“Every person sitting in these chairs today has a version of that moment,” Williamson said to his peers as student speaker at the ceremony. “Papers written in a parking lot before PT, exams taken on your phone when you only have one bar of signal, or night classes that you attended after you got off work. The homework that you stayed up late to finish after the kids went to bed – the dishes were done and everyone in the house was done for the night.”

After all of that, Willliamson, who serves as Echo Forward Support Company first sergeant, 10th Light Support Battalion, 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade, earned a bachelor’s degree in management studies.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support of my wife and kids,” he said. “Hopefully now, we can give some of that time back. Graduates, I am proud to be crossing the finish line alongside of you. What you did was hard. You should be proud.”

Staff Sgt. Katherine Bolcar, a vocalist with the 10th Mountain Division Band, said she appreciated Williamson’s words as she reflected on her journey towards earning a master’s in voice pedagogy (contemporary commercial music) from Shenandoah University.

“What the first sergeant said was spot on – so profoundly real to me,” she said. “I remember being in Germany at the time, taking lessons on my phone with no service. But this is a degree that I’ve wanted for a long time, and I had a lot of leaders that supported me, and all those professors who were super supportive of military members.”

Bolcar began pursuing her degree five years earlier during the pandemic. A second master’s degree seemed like an appropriate use of her time during COVID lockdowns. Then, two duty station moves made her studies more challenging, but she said it also provided opportunities to combine her work with schooling.

“For instance, I had to record myself teaching voice lessons, and the Soldiers’ Chorus in Europe allowed me to do that for them,” she said. “They were gracious enough to let me use them in my videos.”

The 10th Mountain Division Band performed at the ceremony, positioned in the back corner of the auditorium behind the audience. When she walked across the stage to receive her diploma, Bolcar’s bandmates became her personal cheering section.

“I kind of expected them to have been reserved,” she said. “But we’re all so close-knit and work together all the time, so we are always supportive of each other. Having that little shoutout from them was really sweet.”

As the keynote speaker, Col. Jason Adler, Fort Drum garrison commander, commended the graduates for their determination and hard work.

“You persevered,” he said. “You made it to the end, and you earned that diploma. And with it there should come a new level of confidence in your ability to do challenging things. So, I would encourage you to be confident, be bold, believe in yourself, but do so with humility. Recognize those in the audience today who contributed to your achievements. Be grateful for those who stood by your side, encouraged you along the way, and show your appreciation.”

Adler said there isn’t a course credit for perseverance, nor a syllabus on how to balance academics with work and family responsibilities. Soldiers and family members had to manage college curriculum on top of group projects, late-night assignments, military training and deployments.

“You’ve navigated challenges that extend far beyond the classroom,” Adler said. “Armed with your honor, your integrity and your personal courage to take on challenges that scare other folks away. Today, you are graduates, but I challenge you to see yourselves as leaders, innovators and problem-solvers, all ready to contribute and continue your service in new and meaningful ways.”