Nearly 300 Chesapeake College students celebrate graduation

WYE MILLS — Nearly 300 Chesapeake College students were cheered by friends and family as they received their diplomas on Wednesday during the spring graduation.

Clifford Coppersmith, president of Chesapeake College, congratulated the graduates for their achievements in furthering their education. Coopersmith recounted his journey as a community college graduate over 40 years ago.

In his speech, he referenced two themes he wanted to share with the graduates: the first acknowledges the extraordinary times they are living through, and the second theme is the hope that the graduates embody.

“I wish to focus on all of you, our first cohort of students graduating with degrees and certificates that were impacted the most by the immediate and following effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Coppersmith said. “You have persevered in the most difficult times we have seen as a nation in decades, and your decision to pursue your education, to quote a colleague of mine, Dr. David Harper, is a sign of hope, in and of itself.”

An array of individuals were honored, including Rob Thompson, current director of arts for Chesapeake College, who received the 2024-2026 Bounds Distinguished Teaching Chair Award.

In Thompson’s speech, he spoke of Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president in 1872, and her dedication to her dream for a more equal society. He described her as a pioneer for women’s rights.

“Woodhull never asked for permission to try and change the world or to embark on any of the careers she took up,” Thompson said. “She felt an injustice, she found a purpose, and she took action in as many ways as she could think of. For as long as she could stand, it would all be a national figure. But as her story shows, she was just as focused on changing conditions in her home as she was on the nation.”

Thompson described the importance of shaping homes and communities and the power that adapting after failure has on people.

“That’s not so much persisting as it is adapting and seeking an alternative,” Thompson said. “Chasing dreams requires that you travel down some dark and twisting trails. But you’ve got to keep searching. My student’s dreams and their remarkable capacity to show up with creative minds and passionate hearts have carried me through this career. I’m talking about you guys.”

After Thompson’s speech, Milton Nagel, vice chair of the Chesapeake College Board of Trustees, presented the John T. Harrison Award to Zulema Delacruz Martinez. The John T. Harrison Award is given each year to a student who has demonstrated the highest academic performance, leadership and overall contributions to the college and the community.

Delacruz Martinez was praised for her commitment to Hispanic and Latino students within the region who are interested in college but may be intimidated by the academic process. She has organized several events to welcome the students and their families to complete college applications and sign up for resource services.

During her speech, Delacruz Martinez recounted her childhood growing up in a nontraditional home and witnessing the extraordinary hard work that her mother had to do to provide for her and her brother.

“My mother overcame so many obstacles while making so many sacrifices. It was then, at the age of 8, that I vowed to do the same. I decided I would learn from her experience of having a front-row seat to my mother’s hardships as she overcame her adversities. All of those experiences have pushed me to persevere.”

She recounted the resources her advisers gave her and the many people who helped guide and support her to finish. During her time at Chesapeake College, she founded the Hispanic Latino Student Union, learned to be a leader and found her home there.

Toward the end of her speech, Delacruz Martinez praised her classmates and offered words of encouragement.

“Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Build upon meaningful relationships with those around you and keep persevering as you keep persevering. Whether that be in your future college endeavors or in your day-to-day lives,” Delacruz Martinez said. “I leave you with this quote: ‘To make a great dream a reality. The first requirement is a great capacity to dream. The second is persistence.’”