BANGOR – “Stay in Maine, we need you” was the message U.S. Sen. Susan M. Collins sent to the 2004 graduating class of Eastern Maine Community College on Saturday at the Bangor Auditorium.

The class was the first to graduate from the college since its name changed in 2003 from Eastern Maine Technical College, formerly Eastern Maine Vocational Technical Institute.

“This year has been one of change and growth for the college,” EMCC President Joyce Hedlund said during the ceremony.

The class of 2004 said the word “technical” meant a great deal to them and to their future employees, she said. The students had entered the institution when it was a “technical” college, and Hedlund said that at their request, the graduates’ diplomas would read that their degrees were from “Eastern Maine Community College, the successor to Eastern Maine Technical College.”

In her commencement address, Collins stressed the importance of technical jobs to the state. She said that of the college’s 267 graduates, more than 100 of them were 25 years old or older. Of those, most had worked previously in one of Maine’s paper mills, starting their careers fresh out of high school.

“You thought you were starting a lifelong career,” Collins said. “But that was not meant to be.”

Maine’s manufacturing industry has been hard hit by layoffs and mill closures in the last year, forcing many people to return to school to learn new skills and improve upon those they already possessed, the senator said.

Collins commended those who had turned their job losses into a positive educational experience.

She noted that their resumes would list not only the graduate’s work experience and academic accomplishments, but also would “speak volumes for [their] character.”

“By continuing your education, you’ve made an investment in yourselves, your community, your state and your country,” Collins said.

The senator said that community college graduates, many of whom specialize in technical fields, are exactly the kind of people the state needs to foster economic growth. She urged graduates to serve their community and make Maine an attractive place for business.

EMCC faculty, staff and administrators commended the class of 2004 for their accomplishments, and Hedlund echoed Collins’ sentiments.

“We provide education to people who are the economic engine for our state,” she said. “They hold our lives in their hands.”