March 19, 2024

19th Winter Commencement at CSM

winter commencement

More than 700 candidates for degrees and certificates were recognized Jan. 18, 2018, during the 19th Winter Commencement at the College of Southern Maryland La Plata Campus.

CSM President Dr. Maureen Murphy said during her speech that every student who graduated Jan. 18 had to overcome challenges to get to that point. “All of our students are an inspiration to all of us. Many have completed their studies while working, raising families, and volunteering in your community. That is what makes our graduates so special,” said Dr. Murphy.

CSM awarded 565 associate degrees and 481 professional certificates. Thirty-five percent of awardees are Charles County residents, 34 percent are St. Mary’s County residents, 25 percent are from Calvert County and 6 percent are from outside Southern Maryland. Almost 22 percent of all degree candidates for graduation earned a 3.5 grade point average or higher, and 17 percent of the students graduated with honors.

CSM winter commencement student speaker Alondra Lopez-Perez spoke to her fellow graduates about the value of perseverance. “At times, life can be rough. But the final reward is what matters,” Lopez-Perez said. “You need to fight for what you really want to be in life. It’s not going to be a single step, but the promises at the end are worth it.”

Most of the associate degrees were awarded in general studies, arts and sciences, nursing and business administration while general studies: transfer, emergency medical services, accounting: basic and accounting: advanced topped the list as the most popular certificates.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the college’s existence. Since that first class of graduates, the college has celebrated 26,345 graduates.

Other highlights were keynote remarks by Ashley Johnson, technical director of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, and student speaker Alondra Lopez-Perez of Lexington Park, and the presentation of the Trustees’ Distinguished Service Award to Foundation Director Dr. Ila Shah and the Faculty Excellence Award for Adjunct Faculty to Lead Student Success Coordinator Beverly Dearstine-Russell.

Oldest Graduate

Thomas Kettelle, 73, of Lexington Park repeats his status as the oldest graduate, after already receiving this designation in last winter’s CSM commencement ceremony. He has earned his fifth degree from CSM, an associate degree in social sciences.

“It’s thrilling. It’s fun,” Mr. Kettelle said of continuing his education.

Mr. Kettelle already earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from University of Maryland University College and is working toward his second bachelor’s degree, which will be in history this time.

“I’ve enjoyed CSM,” Mr. Kettelle said. Taking courses “keeps my mind sharp.” He does not plan to pursue any more associate degrees. But, once he has earned his second bachelor’s, he may start work on a master’s degree next.

His ongoing college experience has made him into a convincing advocate of the importance of higher education, as he began taking courses when he was 65.

“If you want the good life, go to college,” he said. “If you want to get a good job with good pay, the best answer is still a college degree. The good life doesn’t fix all your problems. It does make it a lot easier to live.

“Education is so vital. It’s important … to get ahead in life,” he said.

Before he began a career as a student, Mr. Kettelle worked for the US Navy Department for more than 30 years and was active duty in the US Army, in the Naval Reserves and the District of Columbia Air National Guard. He is a marathon runner and triathlete and has won 15 Presidential Sports awards.

Youngest Graduate

The youngest student graduating at the ceremony was Michelle Beaulieu, 18, of Callaway. Ms. Beaulieu started early at CSM, earning dual enrollment credit for her high school pre-calculus class as a freshman at Great Mills High School. Since sixth grade in the STEM program at Spring Ridge Middle School through graduation from Great Mills in May 2017, the experience solidified Ms. Beaulieu’s interest in STEM-related fields and helped form her career plan of becoming a research physicist.

“I would really like a career that allows me to travel a lot and that has some sort of humanitarian component,” she said.

Ms. Beaulieu earned an associate degree in math and physical sciences. Since completing her associates, she has already completed her first semester at SUNY Binghamton, where she is part of the university’s four -year Scholars program for honor students. She is also in the Freshman Research Immersion program, which allows first-year students to do real-world, cutting-edge scientific research with faculty. Ms. Beaulieu is pursuing a double major at SUNY Binghamton — physics and math — with a minor in French. She also participates in music ensembles at the university and is planning a semester abroad in France.

“The credits I’ve earned from CSM have essentially cleared the way for me to focus on studying what I’m passionate about at Binghamton,” she said.

“I deeply appreciate how willing and helpful the people at CSM have been throughout the whole process of getting my degree as a high schooler,” Ms. Beaulieu said. “As someone with a love of learning, I also really enjoyed the academic rigor of CSM’s classes. I know there is sometimes a stigma about the quality of community college courses, but that stigma does not reflect my experiences at CSM whatsoever; in fact, one of the best math classes I’ve ever taken was Differential Equations at CSM.”

Keynote Speaker Ashley Johnson

The event’s keynote speaker was Ashley Johnson, technical director of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division. Mr. Johnson directs a multi-site workforce of approximately 1,900 employees with annual operations of more than $1 billion.

Mr. Johnson spoke to the graduates about the value of failure in the learning process. “My advice is this: Don’t be afraid to fail. Expect failure. Embrace it. But most importantly, learn from it. I believe there is just as much knowledge in failure as there is in success,” he said.

“Remember that honoring the compassionate heart does not imply weakness. True leadership, inspiration and influence means listening to and from the heart while having the dedication and humility to clear all that stands in the way,” he said.

Student Speaker Alondra Lopez-Perez

Alondra Lopez-Perez, 20, of Lexington Park spoke to her fellow graduates about the value of perseverance. “At times, life can be rough. But the final reward is what matters,” Ms. Lopez-Perez said. “You need to fight for what you really want to be in life. It’s not going to be a single step, but the promises at the end are worth it.”

Ms. Lopez-Perez has had many challenges in the past several years. She grew up in Puerto Rico, moved to Southern Maryland at the end of 2014 — the middle of her senior year in high school.

Not only did Ms. Lopez-Perez have to deal with a new social group and school system, she did it all with limited language skills. “When I came from Puerto Rico, I could understand almost everything in English,” she said. However, she couldn’t speak the language, and she struggled. “I even got bullied in school because they thought I couldn’t understand what they were saying,” she said.

However, Ms. Lopez-Perez persevered. She enrolled at with financial assistance of the Florence B. Trueman Scholarship and she earned money from two part-time jobs, including working as a student assistant with the Prince Frederick Campus student services staff.

“For all of us graduating this evening, we have arrived at a moment where our next step will be foreign,” she told graduates. “Let’s all remember that we know who we are and we know what we can do. We have received a strong education and a solid foundation here at CSM. And now, we can go boldly into our future to make our dreams come true.”

Ms. Lopez-Perez graduated with two associate degrees, one in applied science and technology and the other in general studies. She is transferring to the University of Maryland, Baltimore, this spring to continue her studies in pre-med. Her goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon.

Trustees’ Distinguished Service Award

The CSM Trustees’ Distinguished Service Award was given to Dr. Ila Shah, a retired pediatrician and a co-founder of Shah Associates. As a leader in the health sciences industry, she uses her expertise and network to bring down barriers to education and healthcare.

Dr. Shah also makes an impact around the world. As a member of the Rotary Club of Charlotte Hall, she partners with Rotary International on global projects. She recently led the effort to bring clean drinking water to 18 villages in India, and is working with a team of doctors to provide cataract surgeries on 1,400 blind adults and children in Nigeria. She was appointed to the College of Southern Maryland Foundation Board of Directors in November 2016.

Annual Faculty Excellence Award Honoring Adjunct Faculty

Beverly Dearstine-Russell was given the Annual Faculty Excellence Award Honoring Adjunct Facult. She is the lead student success coordinator at the Leonardtown Campus and an adjunct instructor for the First Year Seminar.

As he presented the award, Professor Mike Green said Dearstine-Russell is someone who makes a difference wherever she goes. Mr. Green read from a reference about Ms. Russell provided by a colleague.

“Beverly Russell is one of the most professional, friendly and determined people that I have had the distinct pleasure of being able to work with,” said professor Dr. Chretien Guidry. “I have worked with Mrs. Russell in successful events at Leonardtown Campus that she has organized and coordinated such as the Kick-off to College and Try College for a Day events. Each event has increased student enrollments and interest at the college … Mrs. Russell is both an asset and treasure for CSM and I certainly am proud to stand with her on any endeavor that she chooses to accomplish.”

Associate Professor Barbara Link also commented on Dearstine-Russell’s contribution to CSM and the community. “Beverly Russell is simply the heart and soul of CSM, Leonardtown Campus,” said Link. “All faculty and staff members know they can turn to Bev (“Miss Bev” to the students) for help with students who need that extra ‘something’ to help them succeed. … Bev makes a difference wherever she goes. She certainly makes a difference at CSM because she always goes beyond expectations to effect positive change.”

Nursing Recognition Ceremony

At the nursing recognition ceremony that was held earlier in the day to honor the program’s 49 newest graduates, Miranda Reyna, 24, of California was recognized with both the CSM Health Sciences Division Academic Achievement in Nursing Award, presented to the graduate with the highest grade point average in the nursing class, and the CSM Health Sciences Division Achievement in Nursing Award, given to the graduate who demonstrates academic achievement, clinical competence, community service and leadership potential.

Ms. Reyna chose to pursue a career in the nursing field because she saw it as a way to have a positive impact. “I truly feel that my life’s purpose is to give back and try to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said.

Her hard work earned Ms. Reyna a 3.77 GPA and a job offer as a Nurse Clinician I at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, starting in April. Also, the tuition assistance program at Johns Hopkins will allow her to continue her education, starting work on her bachelor’s degree as soon as this fall.

Members of this class of nursing students selected Brian Whitworth, 35, of Owings as the student speaker at the nursing recognition ceremony.

After years of working as a waiter or bartender and other similar jobs in retail and the hospitality industry, Whitworth came to the point where he wanted to pursue a different career. “I wanted to do something a little more worthwhile in my life, something I would be a little more passionate about,” Whitworth said.

Commencement coverage and other student stories are available in CSM’s online newsroom. For photos from commencement and the Nursing Recognition Ceremony, visit http://csmphoto.zenfolio.com/18jannurrec and http://csmphoto.zenfolio.com/18jangrad.

For more about the College of Southern Maryland, visit its Leader member page.

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