On Saturday, May 9th, Dr. Scott Cook, President of Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC), presided over the 56th annual commencement ceremony. The ceremony honored the achievements of 555 candidates for credentials.

The ceremony opened with the processional “Pomp and Circumstance,” performed by the Dyersburg State Community College Band under the direction of Dr. Nicolas Andrade, Instructor of Music and Instrumental Performance/Band Director. The Dyersburg State Community College Choir then joined the Band to perform the Dyersburg State Alma Mater, conducted by Dr. Brianna Reilly, Instructor of Music and Choir Director.

Dr. Scott Cook delivered the welcome address, expressing appreciation to attendees and recognizing faculty, staff, and distinguished guests. In remarks to the graduating class, he acknowledged the perseverance required to reach this milestone, noting that despite personal and academic challenges, the graduates remained committed. He stated, “You have encountered challenging moments, both personal and academic, when quitting might have seemed easier than pressing on; yet here you are. You did not give up; you showed up time and again. You exemplify success.”

Dr. Cook recognized the graduates of the Alpha Epsilon Alpha chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and acknowledged the vital contributions of family members, mentors, friends, faculty, staff, and others whose support has been instrumental in the graduates’ success.

Ms. Paola Loredo, President of the Student Government Association, introduced the commencement speaker, Mr. Billy Hix.

Billy Hix is a former NASA researcher, award-winning science educator, and nationally recognized astronomy outreach specialist who has dedicated his life to making science accessible—especially to students in rural and underserved communities. Growing up in rural poverty, Hix never forgot where he came from. His childhood fascination with the Apollo moon landings sparked a lifelong interest in astronomy, even though the school he attended taught that leaving the farm was sinful.

Hix began his professional career teaching computer science at Motlow College. In 1985, he applied to become an astronaut. Although he was not selected, the experience led to new opportunities that changed the course of his career. In 1987, he began working at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where he spent 21 years conducting astronomy engineering research and providing technical support for space missions—some of which continue to operate in orbit today.

After returning to Tennessee in the early 2000s to care for his father, Hix resumed teaching and inspired future science educators at Motlow College and Lipscomb University. During his teaching career, he received numerous honors, including Motlow College’s Teaching Excellence Award a record seven times and recognition as Tennessee’s Science Teacher of the Year by the Tennessee Science Teachers Association.

Since retiring in 2015, Hix has focused on science outreach through a portable planetarium that travels to rural schools. His mission is to ensure that every student has access to astronomy education regardless of their financial situation. No school or student has ever been charged for one of his programs. In March 2026, he welcomed his 80,000th student into the planetarium.

Hix’s outreach efforts have earned national and international recognition. In 2022, he received the Los Cumbres Award from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific as the top astronomy outreach educator in the United States. In January 2026, he was selected for the second time as one of the top 25 astronomy outreach educators from the United States and Europe to study at the Vatican Observatory. In 2019, he also served as a Science Ambassador to Chile through a program sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of State, working with rural schools for six months.

Beyond education and outreach, Hix has appeared in a PBS series about STEM careers at NASA, in a film currently streaming on Netflix, and in a crowd scene alongside Bruce Willis in the film Armageddon.

Billy Hix holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Tennessee Technological University and three master’s degrees—in computer information systems, astronomy and physics, and science education—from Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He has also pursued additional graduate studies at the University of Oklahoma and the California Institute of Technology.

Through his career at NASA, his dedication to teaching, and his tireless outreach efforts, Billy Hix has inspired thousands of students to look up at the night sky and imagine what is possible.

Dr. Amy Johnson presented the candidates and conferred degrees under the direction of Dr. Cook. The academic schools announced graduates led by Dr. Jimmy Barham, Dean of Arts, Sciences, & Technologies, and Ms. Jackie Watson, Dean of Health Sciences.

As the ceremony concluded, Dr. Cook encouraged the Class of 2026 to fondly remember their time at DSCC and consider the college a part of their extended family. The commencement concluded symbolically as the graduates moved their tassels from right to left, signifying their official graduation status. The DSCC community looks forward to the positive impacts these individuals will undoubtedly make in their professional fields and communities.