Lori Scott to speak at GCC Commencement
Gogebic Community College is pleased to announce Mrs. Lori (Wardynski) Scott, of Ontonagon,
MI as the graduation speaker for the 91st annual commencement ceremony to be held on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 5:00 pm CST in
the David G. Lindquist Student and Conference Center Gymnasium on the GCC campus in
Ironwood.
Lori grew up in Ontonagon, Michigan, graduating from Ontonagon High School in 2016. She continued her education at Gogebic Community College graduating with an Associate of Arts in Business Administration in 2018. During her time at GCC, she was a standout student-athlete on the women’s basketball team. In her sophomore season, she was named team captain and led the women to Region 13 and District F playoff wins qualifying the team for the 2018 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division 2 National Tournament. She led the NJCAA Division 2 in scoring, averaging 26.5 points per game, was the Region 13 Most Valuable Player, and was awarded NJCAA Division 2 Second Team All-American. Lori is currently the Lady Samsons all-time leading scorer with 1,418 points.
Following graduation from GCC, Lori transferred to the University of Wisconsin - River Falls to continue her education and athletic career, graduating in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Business with an emphasis in Animal Science. At UW-River Falls, she was the women’s basketball team co-captain for the 2019- 2020 season and the Beef Sales Chairman of the UW-River Falls Beef Management Team.
In 2021, Lori began working for the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District (GOISD) as the Career Technical Education Food Systems and Natural Resources Instructor and FFA Advisor. She earned her Master of Arts in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Education from Michigan State University in 2023. She currently teaches students in both Gogebic and Ontonagon County.
Lori’s chief focus in her profession is advocating for agriculture through education and helping students develop leadership skills. She has received honors such as Ontonagon County Progressive Farmer of the Year, keynote speaker of the 2022 Agriculture for Tomorrow Conference hosted by Michigan State University Extension, and the GOISD 2022 Golden Apple award in Career Technical Education.
In her spare time, she serves as a catechist for the youth at Holy Family Catholic Church in Ontonagon. Her hobbies include crafting handmade cosmetics, canning, and gardening. Lori resides in Mass City, Michigan with her husband Brandon and their son, Desmon.
