Friday, May 23 at 10:30 a.m.
Congratulations Graduates!
All additional guest tickets have been claimed.
Graduate Rehearsal
Tuesday, May 20 at 11 a.m.
Rockville Campus–Commencement Tent
Commencement stands out as the highlight of the year, bringing together the entire College community, including faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni to recognize your accomplishments and join in the celebration of this momentous milestone. Attaining an associate's degree or certificate is a noteworthy achievement, and you should take pride in your hard work that led to this moment. This milestone is also a testament to the dedication of our remarkable faculty, staff, friends, and families, who have motivated, challenged, and supported you throughout your journey at Montgomery College.
Celebrate your achievement with a photo at the official MC Grad 25 monument—standing eight-feet high by 16-feet wide—available at all three campuses!
Rockville – Becker Quad
Germantown – Student Affairs & Science Building Courtyard
Takoma Park/Silver Spring – Leggett Math & Science Building
Strike a pose, snap your pic, and share the joy with #MCGrad2025.
Board of Trustees Academic Excellence Awardees
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD Liberal Arts and Education
MS. MARIA E. DELGADILLO MENA, a general studies (social sciences, administration, and health) major and member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 3.83 grade point average.A native of El Salvador, she came to the United States in 2022 and earned a GED before enrolling at Montgomery College.
She was a member of the Southern Maryland Leadership Program, leading to an internship with SERVPRO of Rockville, where she worked with the marketing team for two semesters. She participated in the Social Justice Inclusive Leadership Institute and the Digital Storytelling Internship at the Paul Peck Humanities Institute.
She earned the English and Reading Award at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus. She presented her creative writing at the Cherry Blossom Conference.
She recently was accepted at the University of Maryland, where she is a finalist for the Frederick Douglas Merit Scholarship. She will study psychology. Her goal is to be a school counselor, helping students achieve their academic goals and advocating for mental health.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and Health Sciences
MR. ADITYA RAJ BINJARIYA, a computer science major and member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 3.93 grade point average. Born and raised in Jodphur, India, he came to the United States as an international student in 2023.He is a member of the Renaissance Scholars and STEM Scholars honors programs. The Maryland Collegiate Honors Council awarded him best abstract as a presenter this spring.
He earned the Rita Kranidis Global Humanities Scholarship. He also received a Paul Peck Humanities Institute Scholarship and a Webber Family Foundation Humanities Fund Grant supporting his coursework and research at the Library of Congress and the National Institutes of Health last summer.
As a member of the MC LEADS program, he led an initiative to establish a much-needed medical clinic on each campus. Outside the classroom, he volunteered at the Interfaith Clothing Center and Interfaith Food Pantry.
He will transfer to a four-year institution to complete a bachelor’s degree in computer science. He hopes to apply his computational skills to solve real-world problems.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD Workforce Development and Industry Partnerships
MR. ALEXIS ORIHUELA MENCIA, an architectural technology major and member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average.After graduating from Walter Johnson High School, he was uncertain of his career path. He enrolled at Montgomery College—and after the first semester, he chose to study architectural technology. He believes being part of this program has been one of the most enriching experiences of his life. He was named to the Dean’s List every semester he attended MC.
He earned the AIA Potomac Valley Architecture Foundation Scholarship and the Student Academic Excellence Award. He enjoyed participating in architectural design competitions, including MICROHOME and the Museum of Emotions.
After completing his degree in December 2024, he transferred to the bachelor’s degree program in architecture at University of Maryland, which is a competitive and accelerated path to earning a master’s degree and licensure. This summer he will study abroad in Japan, where the curriculum will focus on urbanization, planning, and history research.
APPRENTICESHIP ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD Workforce Development and Continuing Education
MS. VANESSA POSSE-MIR is completing a two-year apprenticeship program as an automotive technician. She is enrolled in the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association apprentice-related instruction program. A three-year employee of Fitzgerald Mazda in Frederick, Maryland, she began performing basic maintenance—tires, lights, and wiper blades. She currently works as a certified Mazda technician.A self-described problem solver, she prides herself not only on completing complex diagnostics quickly and efficiently but also on assisting coworkers, family, and friends with maintenance and troubleshooting issues. She believes quality work at an honest price is essential—and believes her mechanical expertise and fair-mindedness will ensure trust with clients.
As a junior in high school, she enrolled in the Frederick County Public Schools Career and Technology Center. She owns a 1994 Mazda Miata project car, which she enjoys working on in her spare time. She is also an avid reader.
Ms. Posse-Mir lives in Urbana, Maryland, with her parents. She wants to earn Mazda master senior technician certification—and someday open her own automotive shop.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD Liberal Arts and Education OUTSTANDING RUNNER-UP
MR. JONATHAN J. GAVEL, a general studies (STEM) major and member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 3.85 grade point average. He has served as a student tutor in the Student Learning Center at the Germantown Campus.As someone who has endured many health challenges throughout his life, Mr. Gavel characterizes his academic journey as nontraditional. When he was able to attend in-person classes in high school, he participated in the College’s Dual Enrollment program.
During this time, he began volunteering at the Damascus Volunteer Fire Department and became an emergency medical technician (EMT) when he was 17. He wants to pursue a career in health care, particularly as a pediatric nurse.
He believes his setbacks—and his ability to overcome them—make him uniquely qualified to inspire young patients. He is applying to bachelor’s programs in nursing, and ultimately hopes to earn a doctor of nursing practice.
He enjoys cooking and how food can bring together people from different cultures. He wants to travel the world and experience other cultures—and cuisines.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and Health Sciences OUTSTANDING RUNNER-UP
MS. MEENA NIAZI, a general studies (STEM) major and member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 3.87 grade point average (GPA).A member of the Renaissance Scholars honors program, she presented twice at the annual Beacon Conference—and one of her papers won the Outstanding Presentation award. She earned the Dr. Harry Harden Jr. Award and was named to the Dean’s List five consecutive semesters.
She transferred to the University of Maryland biological sciences program at the Universities at Shady Grove. Specializing in physiology and neurobiology, she earned a 4.0 GPA her first semester and was inducted to Tau Sigma National Honor Society as a board member.
She works as a research fellow at the National Institutes of Health and at Nvolve, a nonprofit organization hiring undergraduate women in STEM, where she receives leadership training and mentorship from industry professionals, and collaborates with fellow scholars on STEM projects.
She is the first woman in her family to attend college. She plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in the health care industry.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD Workforce Development and Industry Partnerships OUTSTANDING RUNNER-UP
MS. SARAH S. BECERRA, an architectural technology major, is graduating with a 3.85 grade point average. Born in Venezuela, she came to the United States when she was 14 years old.She took two Montgomery College classes while she was a student at Clarksburg High School, but after graduating in 2018 her education was interrupted by financial hardship and the pandemic. Since she re-enrolled in 2022—she has been on the Dean’s List every semester. She earned a letter of recognition in sustainability while completing her studies.
She received the AIA Potomac Valley Architecture Foundation Scholarship. A part-time student, she has worked 30 to 40 hours a week as an assistant project manager at O’Leary Asphalt in Ijamsville, Maryland. She plans, coordinates, and oversees construction projects from start to finish.
She will transfer to the University of Maryland to pursue a bachelor’s degree in architecture. Her long-term plans include earning a master’s degree in architecture and exploring urban design as a potential field of focus.
APPRENTICESHIP ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD Workforce Development and Continuing Education OUTSTANDING RUNNER-UP
MR. EDWIN E. ROMERO is completing a two-year apprenticeship program as an automotive technician. He is enrolled in the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association apprentice-related instruction program. A six-year employee of DARCARS Volvo Cars in Rockville, he currently works as an intermediate automotive technician.He has been fascinated with working on cars since he was little. He loves tearing down engines and rebuilding them. He strives to learn everything he can about the most up-to-date and innovative techniques used in automotive repair, especially regarding electric vehicles. As the first in his family to attend college, he has received a tremendous amount of support and praise from his parents
Mr. Romero lives with his girlfriend, Michelle, and their 21-month-old daughter, Sophia, in Rockville. He attended John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring. He wants to pursue a master technician certification—and someday open his own automotive shops in Maryland and in his parents’ home country of El Salvador.
Commencement Speakers
Dr. Jermaine F. Williams became the 11th president of Montgomery College on February 28, 2022.
Dr. Williams’ work in higher education has focused his energies on improving access for students, as well as retention, graduation, and post-completion success. He has paid special attention to mitigating institutional societal and racial inequities, strategically creating programs and policies that support historically underrepresented and/or marginalized groups. He has years of experience designing, managing, and enhancing institutional and statewide programs and initiatives that have yielded positive student outcomes.
Dr. Williams has been widely lauded for his inclusive leadership style and for building teams that create strategic programing and policies to improve student outcomes. His professional approach to student success is deeply rooted in equity-minded systems and data-informed analysis. Dr. Williams’ view of higher education as a public good informs his personal passion about enhancing access, completion, and post-completion success, goals that are shared across Montgomery College.
Having taught at two-year and four-year institutions himself for more than eight years, Dr. Williams has experienced higher education from the vantage point of faculty. Currently, he is a faculty member in Northeastern University’s Graduate School of Education. Before his appointment at Montgomery College, Dr. Williams served as president of Nassau Community College in New York. He has also served as vice president of student affairs at North Shore Community College in Massachusetts, and as the assistant vice president for access, transition, and success at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), a Hispanic Serving Institution in Chicago. Dr. Williams also held the role of assistant dean of academic development at NEIU. Prior to NEIU, Dr. Williams worked at the Community College of Philadelphia, a predominantly Black institution, leading several of their Achieving the Dream strategies as director of student success initiatives. He also held roles at Temple University in Philadelphia and St. John’s University in Queens, New York.
Dr. Williams received his artium baccalaureus in anthropology and sociology from Lafayette College, a master of arts in sociology from St. John’s University, a master of education in educational administration with a higher education specialization and a doctorate of education in educational administration with a higher education specialization from Temple University. He also holds certificates from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education for completion of the Seminar for New Presidents and Management Development Program. Dr. Williams was selected for the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program’s Rising Presidents Fellowship and New Presidents Fellowship for 2018–2019 and 2022, respectively. Advocating at the local and national level, he is a member of the American Association of Community College’s (AACC) Student Success Commission and the Association of Community College Trustees’ (ACCT) Advisory Committee of Presidents. He has served as a member of nonprofit boards and worked closely with Workforce Investment Boards, dedicated to forging partnerships that will help advance equitable educational opportunities.
Other Ways to Watch and Follow
- YouTube Livestreamnew window
- YouTube American Sign Language (ASL) Livestreamnew window
- Social Media: Follow us on social media at #MCGrad2025
- Cable TV viewing on MCTV (in Montgomery County):
- Comcast Xfinity channel 998 (HD) or 10 (SD)
- Verizon Fios channel 10 (SD)
- RCN Astound channel 1059 (HD)
Social Media
Be sure to tag @montgomerycollege and use #MCGrad2025 in your posts!
The commencement ceremony will be held on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. on the Rockville campus.
Graduates may claim two (2) guest tickets. One (1) additional ticket may become available in April. This additional ticket will be first come, first served until all available guest seats under the tent are reserved. Commencement tickets are required for all guests, including children, to sit under the commencement tent. Graduates will receive information on claiming their guest tickets in March. At this time, all additional guest tickets have been claimed.
Graduates may invite an unlimited number of guests to watch the ceremony livestream from three alternate viewing locations on the Rockville campus. Tickets are not needed to view from an alternate location.
Alternate viewing locations: Physical Education Center Small Gym (PE137), the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center (PAC), and the Theatre Arts Arena (TA).
Livestreaming will be available on this webpage for those who cannot attend in person.
Graduation is the completion of all degree requirements as recorded on the official transcript. Commencement is the ceremony that celebrates the completion of a degree.
Only students who have applied for graduation and have met the specific requirements for their declared major in the fall of 2024 or the spring of 2025 may participate in the commencement ceremony. The graduation application does not automatically register you for participating in commencement. A separate registration process takes place for qualified students who are interested in participating in the commencement ceremony. If you have eligibility questions, please contact your campus coordinator:
- Germantown: Adria Nichols, adria.Nichols@montgomerycollege.edu
- Rockville: Sylvia Chen, sylvia.chen@montgomerycollege.edu
- Takoma Park/Silver Spring: Marjorie Davis, marjorie.davis@montgomerycollege.edu
- WDCE, Christina Segura and Andrea Daniels, christina.segura@montgomerycollege.edunew window and andrea.daniels@montgomerycollege.edunew window
To participate in the ceremony, you should be a summer or fall graduate or are qualified to graduate in spring that applied for graduation and received your eligibility confirmation. You will then be cleared to receive information to participate.
- Open period for online graduation application: spring, October 2–February 15.
- Fall of 2024 to spring of 2025 graduates will receive emails containing important information including deadlines, a link for in-person graduate participation, guest tickets as well as a link to their StageClip portal will be sent to graduates in mid-March. Summer and fall graduates will be also be sent a letter via U.S. mail to the address on file to remind them to check their College email for important commencement updates.
- The participation site will open on March 24, 2025. All eligible graduates will receive an email with a link to indicate if they will be participating in person and to claim your guest tickets. Graduates will have until April 25, 2025, to respond.
- The StageClip site will open on April 14, 2025. Graduates participating in the ceremony will receive an email with instructions to log in to StageClip for uploading content (photos, messages, videos) or upload herenew window. Graduates will have until midnight on May 15, 2025 to upload their photos, videos, and messages. On May 16, 2025 the content will move over to production and no additional content can be added or changed.
Graduate Rehearsal
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 11 a.m.
Rockville Campus–Commencement Tent
Read the Commencement Guide (PDF, 
) for more details.
Read the Rehearsal Information Packet for rehearsal details. (coming soon)
If you do not submit a photo, video, and/or message to personalize your clip, one with your name, degree, and honors (if you met the requirements) will be created on your behalf for the graduate roll call.
Yes. The cap and gown are recommended but are not mandatory for your StageClip.
Regalia is required if you participate in person.
Graduates can purchase regalia (cap, gown, tassel), honor cords and rings from any of the campus stores beginning at the end of March.
Contact your campus coordinator for information about PTK stole distribution.
- Germantown Campus: Tom Chen, thomas.chen@montgomerycollege.edu
- Rockville Campus: Professor Sue Adler, sue.adler@montgomerycollege.edu
- Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus: Dr. Michael LeBlanc, michael.leblanc@montgomerycollege.edu
Diploma frames can be pre-ordered herenew window, beginning at the end of March. You will also be able to place an order at one of the campus Grad Fairs in April.
After certifications have been completed in the summer, you will receive correspondence regarding your diploma.
Yes. Graduates will be able to purchase regalia, meet with a Jostens representative to order rings, announcements, etc., order a diploma frame from the Alumni, and get a formal photo taken. There will also be other activities for graduates to participate in April and May. Check your College email frequently for graduate information.
- Germantown: Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Takoma Park/Silver Spring: Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 11 a.m. –1 p.m.
- Rockville: Thursday, April 10, 2025, 1–4 p.m.
Graduation Cap Decorating Party
Please bring your cap with you to decorate (event flyer (PDF, ) )
- Germantown: Outside between HS & SA. Inclement weather location HS 011.
- Takoma Park/Silver Spring: ST 2nd floor near bookstore.
- Rockville: Green space between HU & TA. Inclement weather location SV Atrium.
Complete and sign the Information Change Form (PDF, ) and submit to the College’s Office of Records and Registration for processing. For
more information visit Update Your Student Information.
There is no location beyond your own seat where guests may take photos of graduates. If you need to stand to get your shot, we ask that you do so briefly so as not to block others' view of the ceremony. Commencement guests will be prohibited from taking pictures or videotaping from locations near the platform. Arrangements have been made by a professional photography company to take a picture as each graduate crosses the stage. Graduates will get one complimentary photo and the opportunity to purchase additional packages.
If you have any additional questions, please contact the Office of Special Events at events@montgomerycollege.edu. An events staff member will get back to you shortly.
The commencement ceremony will be held on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. on the Rockville campus.
Graduates may claim two (2) guest tickets. At this time, all additional guest tickets have been claimed.
Graduates may invite an unlimited number of guests to watch the ceremony livestream from three alternate viewing locations on the Rockville campus. Tickets are not needed to view from an alternate location.
Alternate viewing locations: Physical Education Center Small Gym (PE137), the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center (PAC), and the Theatre Arts Arena (TA).
Livestreaming will be available on this webpage for those who cannot attend in person.
In an effort to honor our mission to reduce waste, the program will be available via QR code and on the website via the Program button below (coming soon).
Lot 1 is reserved for VIP and disabled parking. Lot 3 will be closed on the day of commencement. College public safety staff, county police officers, and crossing guards will be available during the ceremonies to direct traffic to drop off and parking locations. Golf carts will be available to transport guests who are in need of assistance from the parking lots to the commencement area.
View the Commencement Map (PDF, ) for more details.
If you have any additional questions, please contact the Office of Special Events at events@montgomerycollege.edu. An events staff member will get back to you shortly.
