Virtual Commencement 2020
View 2020 Commencement and Highlights
On Friday, May 22, 2020, the Montgomery College community celebrated the academic achievement of the Class of 2020 in a Virtual Commencement Ceremony.
See Your Graduate's Personalized Slide
Watch the Full Roll Call of Graduates
The above list (and accompanying slides) includes the names of those students who completed their graduation requirements in August 2019, fall 2019, as well as those students who are candidates for graduation in spring 2020. Also included are the names of those Workforce Development and Continuing Education students who have completed a two-, four-, or five-year program of instruction while working in a supervised employment environment relating to their technical field.
Students who applied for graduation, met the specific requirements for their declared major in summer 2019, fall 2019, or spring 2020, and provided their photos and/or messages by the deadline were included in the virtual graduation ceremony. Eligible students who met the requirements, but did not meet the submission deadline, will be listed on the commencement website.
Find answers to questions about virtual commencement below.
Commencement Speakers
In 2010, DeRionne Pollard assumed leadership of Montgomery College, a three-campus community college with 55,000 credit and noncredit students.
She spearheaded the development of a new Montgomery College mission and strategic plan. She has partnered actively with Montgomery County Public Schools and the Universities at Shady Grove in the creation of Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES), a support program designed to help disadvantaged students transition from high school to college completion. The program now has 2,700 students enrolled. Montgomery College is also a member of Achieving the Dream network, a non-governmental reform movement for student success at community colleges.
Dr. Pollard was named one of Washington's 100 Most Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine, won a 2017 Academic Leadership Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and was a recipient of a Visionary Award by the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. Additionally, she has been honored by Leadership Montgomery, The Daily Record, Bethesda Magazine, and the Washington Business Journal and is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. as well as the Silver Spring Chapter of The Links.
Dr. Pollard’s M.A. and B.A. in English are from Iowa State University, which awarded her its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019. Her Ph.D. is in educational leadership and policy studies in higher education from Loyola University Chicago.
Ms. Gloria Aparicio Blackwell was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees for the 2019-2020 term. Effective July 1, 2009, she was appointed by Governor Martin O'Malley to the Board of Trustees for the remainder of a six-year term that had begun on July 1, 2008. She was reappointed to serve a full six-year term in 2014.
Gloria Aparicio-Blackwell is the Director of the Office of Community Engagement at the University of Maryland College Park under the Division of Administration & Finance. She has worked for the University more than 19 years. Her primary role is to contribute to the University’s commitment to the land grant mission, as well as, the overall efforts in making the University of Maryland a “Greater College Town.”
Ms. Aparicio Blackwell earned an associate’s degree in safety and fire science from Instituto Tecnológico de Seguridad Industrial in Venezuela and a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology with a concentration in safety and fire science from UMD. In addition, Blackwell earned a M.S. in management from University of Maryland Global Campus. Prior to joining the University in 1997, Gloria worked in safety and fire management at Potomac Electric Power Company and for higher education institutions, including American University and Montgomery College (as a student worker).
Gloria Aparicio Blackwell has recently received the prestigious President’s Distinguished
Service Award under the category of Public Service at the University of Maryland adding
to other awards such as UMD’s Outstanding Woman of Color Award.
Outside of her University service, Gloria volunteers with several organizations, she
is a member of the Board of Trustees from Montgomery College, is a graduate and board
member of Leadership Maryland and Leadership Montgomery, in addition to serving as
a board member of the International Town/Gown Association.
To maintain work/life balance, she is an avid runner/walker and more importantly, finds time to enjoy family and friends. Gloria Aparicio Blackwell resides in Gaithersburg with her husband, Stephen Blackwell.
Board of Trustees Scholars
Ms. Michelle A. Karlsberg
Ms. Michelle A. Karlsberg, a general studies (STEM) major and a Renaissance Scholars Honors member, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. She held an electrical engineering internship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research. She plans to pursue a double major in mathematics and political philosophy at Stanford University, and then pursue graduate studies.
Ms. Karlsberg’s academic work extends beyond the classroom as well. She recently held an electrical engineering internship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research to upgrade the NIST nuclear reactor. Currently, she is a mathematics tutor and a Multivariable Calculus learning assistant. Ms. Karlsberg was selected as the 2020 Presidential Scholar for the Montgomery College Germantown Campus. She is planning on pursuing a double major in mathematics and political philosophy at a four-year college and plans to pursue graduate studies thereafter. Her hobbies include singing, reading, and studying aquatic life.
Outside of the classroom, Ms. Karlsberg has been active in several extracurricular activities at Montgomery College. She has represented the College as a First-Year Experience Student Ambassador, a Germantown Campus Council Member, and a Student Senator. In these roles, she lobbied county council members for college funding, fought student food inaccessibility, and acted as a teacher’s assistant in several STSU 100 classes. Ms. Karlsberg was also the president of the Women in STEM club, in which she organized and led “STEM Days” at the Early Childhood Education Center. She also served as the president of the Germantown Phi Theta Kappa chapter (Beta Kappa Omega), raising money for breast cancer research.
She would not have been able to accomplish so much without support from the excellent staff and faculty members at Montgomery College. She would like to express her sincerest gratitude to Dr. Michael P. Harding, Dr. Stephen N. Wheatley, Provost Margaret Latimer, Professor Pallavi Bhale, Professor Tyra Peanort, Dr. Christina M. Devlin, Dr. Kristine Lui, Dr. Zhou Dong, Dr. Susan L. Bontems, Professor Barbara LaPilusa, Dr. Arthur C. Grinath, Dr. Diane K. McDaniel, and Professor Joan Naake.
Ms. Shelby Jones
Ms. Shelby Jones, a biological science major and Dean’s List student, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. Born and raised in Columbia, Maryland, Ms. Jones obtained her GED at the age of 16 and continued to defy odds by achieving high academic success once she began her education at Montgomery College. During her time at Montgomery College, Ms. Jones was supported and encouraged by professors and mentors, and inspired by those she met through networking and conferences. She was able to obtain an internship at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, where she continues to work at today. She became a learning assistant for Principles of Biology I. Ms. Jones will be transferring to the Universities at Shady Grove, UMD, for the fall semester to continue her studies in biological science. She has plans to pursue a PhD, become a parasitologist, and lead her own research team. During her journey, she aspires to provide exposure to the sciences to underrepresented youth and be a part of changing the face of science.
Ms. Rebecca A. Winters
Ms. Rebecca Winters, a radiologic technology major and member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. She is a wife and mother of a wonderful eight-year-old son with autism. She is originally from southwestern Pennsylvania, but has lived in Montgomery County for 20 years. She has been a licensed massage therapist for the past 16 years—and has had her own private practice for the past eight years. Ms. Winters has been the grateful recipient of the Dr. Charlene R. Nunley Scholarship, the Milton F. Clogg Endowment, and a Montgomery College Board of Trustees grant. She has also been named to the Dean’s List for the past four semesters. After graduation, she plans to continue her education and train to become a mammographer to help in the fight against breast cancer. She would also like to earn her bachelor’s degree in medical imaging.
Campus Honors Convocations and Phi Theta Kappa Inductees
Germantown Campus
Rockville Campus
Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus
Frequently Asked Questions
- Open period for online graduation application: spring, October 2–February 15.
- Summer and fall 2020 graduates, as well as potential graduates for spring 2021, will
receive a graduation packet via their college email. The packet will contain important
information including deadlines and a link to the graduate participation website.
Potential graduates must follow the link provided in the packet they receive to indicate
that they want to participate in the virtual ceremony.
- The graduate participation website will open on March 8, 2021. All eligible graduates will receive an email with instructions to login to the participation site for uploading content (photos, messages, videos). Graduates will have until midnight on May 4, 2021, to upload their photos, videos, and messages. On May 5, 2021, the content will move over to production. No additional content can be added or changed after May 5, 2021.
) and send as an attachment to Raptor Central. It will be forwarded to Records and Registration for processing.- Germantown Campus: Professor Michelle Prendergast
- Rockville Campus: Professor Sue Adler
- Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus: Professor Satarupa Das
) and send as an attachment to Raptor Central. It will be forwarded to Records and Registration for processing. Additional Questions: If you have any additional questions, please contact the Special Events office. An events staff member will get back to you shortly.
Other Ways to Watch Commencement
- Social Media: Follow us on social media at #MCGrad2020
- Facebook Livenew window
- www.MCTV.infonew window
- On Cable TV (in Montgomery County)
- Comcast Channel 998 (HD)
- Cable Channel 10 (Comcast, RCN & Verizon)
-
RCN 1059
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