The College of Southern Maryland celebrated its 65th spring commencement on May 10 with ceremonies highlighting The School of Liberal Arts, the School of Professional and Technical Studies and the School of Science and Health.
The college celebrated 449 candidates for graduation for earning 367 degrees and 111 certificates during three commencement ceremonies.
Of the graduates, 46.3% percent were from Charles County, 30.5% percent were from St. Mary’s County, 21.8% percent were from Calvert County and 1.3% percent were from outside the region.
Sixty-five percent of the graduates were women and 29.7% percent of the students graduated with honors. The youngest graduate was 17-year-old Rachel Jones of Waldorf, while the oldest is Barbara White of Leonardtown, who is 69.
CSM President Yolanda Wilson reflected on her own graduation, and the words of her uncle to her, which were “You’ve looked back … and you’ve looked forward. Now it’s time to make progress. Remember — there is a trail behind you.”
She invited students to pause, look back in reflection and gratitude, look forward with anticipation to the opportunities that lie before them, and commit to making progress.
“As you are lifted up in this moment, graduates, remember to reach back and reach out to lift up those around you,” she said in a news release. “Extend your hand in assistance, volunteer your time in engagement, and offer kindness in places where the light is dim and words of grace are few.”
“As you leave here today, crossing the threshold as a new college graduate,” Faculty Senate President George Bedell said in the release, “I encourage you to keep the spirit of learning alive, embracing the new, and even the strange, and expanding your conception of the world whenever you can. “Your intellectual curiosity can lead you to a life of continuous learning — and that is a rich life indeed.”
Jaqrai (Louis) Smith was the student speaker for the School of Liberal Arts graduation. He was graduating with his General Education Transfer Certificate as an Early College student — two weeks before graduating from Westlake High School, and with a full year of free college credits.
“By attending CSM, we graduates have shown that we will not only rise against expectations — we will rise to exceed expectations, and that we are all more than meets the eye,” he said.
The School of Professional and Technical Studies graduation saw cybersecurity graduate Robert Katzberg III share his journey and admit that “I never pictured myself to be a college student.”
Katzberg, who works full time for the United States Army, added that he “always had the thought in the back of my mind that attending college would be useful, but I never had the right mindset to go after it.”
At the School of Science and Health commencement ceremony, 40-year-old graduate and wife, mother and new nurse Wendy Bollino thanked her daughter for inspiring her to pursue her dreams after a long break from college.
“I was told the college experience is what you make of it,” she said. “Well, 19-year-old Wendy did not make the most of it way back when. Some of our paths are straight lines. Not mine. I zigged and zagged, did some roller coasterstyle looptie loops and that weird thing where the roller coaster goes backward and makes your stomach turn all before, I was able to get to this point. I am here today to say that perseverance and resilience pays off.”
Board of Trustee Chair Shawn Coates awarded Destiny Morgan of the CSM class of 2015 with the CSM Foundation’s 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award.
“Destiny is a true CSM Hawk Hero,” he said. “She’s always there for us, when needed, no matter the task.
Morgan recently decided to pay it forward to other CSM students who may need financial assistance by offering her newly-established Kuinua Together scholarship. She is also starting an initiative with CSM to help get students work experience.
To see a video of each commencement, go to www.youtube.com/user/CSMDTube. To view or download photographs from the ceremonies, go to https://csmphoto.zenfolio.com/.
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