For University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) President Gregory Fowler, graduation is more than an opportunity to confer degrees. He also sees it as a chance to showcase the broad spectrum of supporters who encouraged each UMGC graduate across the finish line.
From May 9-12, those circles of support were in evidence as more than 2,000 students—and thousands of friends, supporters and members of the university community—converged for Grad Walk at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in College Park, Maryland. UMGC’s stateside graduation event was extended to four days to enable each member of the Class of 2024 who wanted to step onto a small stage, one by one, with family and friends close at hand, to receive diplomas.
While other higher education institutions limit the number of family member at commencement, UMGC’s more personalized—and boisterous—stateside graduation event can accommodate them. Professional photographers are on site to take individual portraits of the graduates and each graduate receives a video clip of the moment they receive their recognition on stage.
At spring Grad Walk, Rita Adamakoaa Yawson and Edward Abeka Yawson attracted attention when they accepted their bachelor’s degrees with 12-week-old twins in their arms and a toddler daughter at their side. The husband and wife had both studied and worked full time while starting a family. Another graduate, Akinwumi Alao, stepped onto the stage with his 2-year-old daughter, Rayanah, holding his hand. The toddler, at first reluctant, seemed awestruck when her father was applauded for his Master of Science in Cloud Computer Systems, a degree he hopes will advance his IT career at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Family connections were front and center at many other Grad Walk moments. Twin brothers Willie Ray and William Ramon Mendez accepted degrees together, as did mother and son Feben Admasu and David Admasu. A couple who found romance in the classroom—no easy feat at a virtual university—also accepted their diplomas against the backdrop of cheers from their blended families.
“We were in different degree programs so we only had one class together, but we discovered in the class that we lived in the same county, so we got together to meet one another—and we fell in love,” said Trina Michelle Shipley, who received a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management, summa cum laude. At her side, a beaming Michael Russell Baker Sr. graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security, also summa cum laude.
Michele Gray Cobham received her associate degree at age 70, decades after her plans for a degree and the hope of playing on a University of Maryland basketball team were derailed by injuries. “It has been on my bucket list all this time to complete, and now I have done that,” Cobham said. “My family is very proud of what I have accomplished.”
Another proud family was cheering on Brenda Vanessa Cruz Ventura, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, cum laude. Cruz Ventura wore a blue-and-white academic stole bearing the flag of El Salvador, the country where she was born. Her family was celebrating its first-ever college graduate.
“The thing I love is to see the people our graduates bring with them. It’s about the people who helped you complete your degree,” said President Fowler. “Getting a UMGC education is a team sport.”
“My biggest thrill this Grad Walk was when students who are parents wanted me to hold their children while we were taking photos together,” Fowler continued. “They wanted me to be part of the culmination of what they had done, and that was an honor for me.”
A website was created for spring grads and includes an on-demand ceremony with the formal conferral of degrees by President, special messages from University System of Maryland Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and remarks by student speaker Sayed Mahbobi, as well as an online “Gallery of Graduates” showcasing graduates’ personalized recognition slides that can be shared via social media or e-mail.
Mahbobi, an immigrant from Afghanistan who received a Master of Science in Information Technology, underscored the deep way many students and their families have invested in education, an asset that the UMGC president said has a multi-generational impact.
Mahbobi acknowledged that he grew up in a country “where going to school isn’t easy for everyone” and “survival took priority over education.”
The son of a shoemaker and the youngest of eight children, he did well in school but his family did not encourage education.
“My family struggled to make ends meet. Simple pleasures like a reliable means of transportation or being able to afford educational resources were out of reach for us,” he said. Even while studying in the master’s program at UMGC, he worked two jobs and he and his wife struggled to maintain a work-study-life balance while taking care of their son, who is not yet a year old.
“Dreams do come true. Trust me. I have seen it happen,” Mahbobi said, before adding a piece of advice to the Class of 2024: “Let’s go out into the world and make a difference.”
Governor Moore acknowledged the sometimes daunting struggles many students and their family had to power through and extended his congratulations, calling the students’ achievements “a testament to your dedication of lifelong learning.
“Pledge to harness your knowledge for the greater good by enriching your own life and making a positive impact on the lives of others,” he urged the new graduates.
Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden, ’05 DPS, ’06 and ’09, noted in her congratulatory remarks that UMGC students—most of them adult learners—often earned their degrees while working full-time, caring for family members or even juggling health challenges.
“It is a journey that has tested you and strengthened you,” she said. “And it ultimately defines you, each of you, as individuals who understand the power of education and who are willing to invest in themselves.”
UMGC’s virtual ceremony also featured a graduate singing the national anthem. For the class of 2024, that was Henrietta Eugene, who received a Master of Science in Biotechnology. Tucked among the graduates were “#UMGCgrad Social Media Ambassadors, students who spread the world about commencement activities and standout graduates to UMGC’s now more than 294,000-member strong alumni network.
Grad Walk in Maryland capped a global commencement schedule that also saw Fowler attending traditional graduation ceremonies in Germany, Korea and Japan. Members of the Class of 2024 hailed from all 50 states, three U.S. territories and 24 countries. Overall, more than 7,800 bachelor’s degrees were conferred, along with close to 3,500 master’s degrees, more than 2,300 associate degrees and 41 doctoral degrees.
The oldest grad was 78, the youngest 19.
In Maryland, a Celebration Room at the Grad Walk venue allowed newly minted graduates to take cap-and-gown photos with family members against various backdrops, buy UMGC-branded clothing and gear and check in with Career Services and Alumni Relations tables staffed by alumni volunteers and staff members.
The response to the 2023 debut of the Career Services table at Grad Walk was so positive that the university has now made it a permanent fixture in the Celebration Room. “We are here to let everyone know that we are here to provide them with a lifetime of services,” said Career Services Manager Rhoda Smackum. “We are available if they want information on job fairs or other career services.”
Class of 2024’s William Turri stopped by the Career Services table to let staff know that he would be starting a new job on Monday at the U.S. Department of Defense. Turri graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Technology and membership in Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Sigma Lambda honor societies.
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