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Commencement 2022

Thursday and Friday, May 19 and 20 at 10 a.m.
2019 commencement group
MC Faculty & Staff
Be a part of this year’s commencement and sign up for a special assignment.

Ceremonies

Last names A–L: Thursday, May 19

Last names M–Z: Friday, May 20

LOCATION: Rockville Campus, Lot 11

Video Streams

May 19 commencement ceremony, last names A-L
May 20 commencement ceremony, last names M-Z

 

Important Dates, Deadlines and Updates
Commencement regalia
  • Commencement regalia is now available for purchase in the campus bookstores
Graduate rehearsal for both ceremonies
Commencement Guests

Additional outdoor seating has been released. Graduates that have registered to attend in person may now bring up to 4 guests. We have already updated the guest count on your registration for you. There will be an overflow area adjacent to the main seating for additional guests and also indoor seating available to watch the livestream.

Commencement Speakers

Dr. Jermaine F. Williams
Dr. Jermaine F. Williams headshot

Dr. Jermaine F. Williams became the 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 bachelor of arts 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.

Board of Trustees Scholars

Rockville Campus Scholar
Gerardo Paul Rendon

MR. GERARDO PAUL RENDON

Gerardo Paul Rendon, a hospitality management major and member of Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. A native of Georgia, he moved to Maryland in 2019. During college, he worked full time at luxury hotels in the District of Columbia. He earned the Excellence in Hospitality Management Award. He is a recipient of the Carin-Soros Hospitality Scholarship and the Marriott Center Scholarship. In his spare time, he volunteers for the Red Cross on the Disaster Action Team, providing 24-hour immediate support and assistance to individuals and families who have been impacted by a home fire or other local disasters. After graduation, he intends to continue his education and pursue a bachelor’s degree in family science at the University of Maryland.

Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Scholar
Kenisha Salvary

MS. KENISHA J. SALVARY

Kenisha Salvary, a general studies (integrated studies) major, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. She was born in Arlington, Virginia, and was raised in Trinidad and Tobago. She began her postsecondary education at Northern Virginia Community College and transferred to Montgomery College. She has completed 3,700 hours of community service with AmeriCorps. Through AmeriCorps, she has a proven success record in community organizing and outreach efforts to end poverty. At 21, she created the first Neighborhood and Youth Committee in Manassas, Virginia. As a second-year AmeriCorps member, she moved to Washington, D.C., and began working with the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC). She taught English, poetry, and soccer to middle school children. She often mentored young girls, offering inspiration through her own story of enduring hardship, overcoming homelessness, and discovering self-empowerment. She loves to play soccer, write short stories, and spend time with her son, Andre.

Germantown Campus Scholar
Yanxin Christina Yang

MS. YANXIN CHRISTINA YANG

Yanxin Christina Yang, a business (finance) major and member of Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. Born and raised in China, she immigrated to the United States, enrolling at the Germantown Campus in 2020. As a Macklin Business Institute scholar, she was co-president of the Enactus team. The team earned fourth place in the national Enactus competition. She was a co-leader in Raptor Tank, a student-run business pitch competition. She also served as a volunteer member of the Freeman Foundation’s Freeman Assists Communities with Extra Support advisory board and Meals on Wheels. She received MC’s Excellence in Business Award, Excellence in Business Student Leadership Award, MBI Scholar Award, and Honors Scholar Award. Outside school, she is a manager at a bubble tea shop. She wants to pursue a bachelor’s degree in finance and open up a financial advisory firm.

Campus Honors Convocations

Every year Montgomery College has the distinct privilege of celebrating outstanding students and artists, student scholars, honor society members, and state and national award winners. You can view all awards and awardees by honor or campus.


Social Filters and Backgrounds

Use these filters and backgrounds on your social media posts and calls to show off your MC pride for this year’s Commencement. Be sure to tag @montgomerycollege and use #MCGrad2022 in your posts!

Other Ways to Watch and Follow

Watch and Follow Live via MC Facebook or YouTube
Alternate viewing in Montgomery County, Maryland:
  • Cable channel 10 (Comcast, RCN & Verizon)
  • Comcast channel 998 (HD)
  • RCN 1059

Frequently Asked Questions

The commencement ceremonies will be on Thursday, May 19, 2022, at 10 a.m. for last names A-L and Friday, May 20, 2022, at 10 a.m. for last names M-Z. Both ceremonies will be on the Rockville campus.
Yes. Please check your College email for updates on the ceremony.
Additional outdoor seating has been released. Graduates that have registered to attend in person may now bring up to 4 guests. We have already updated the guest count on your registration for you. There will be an overflow area adjacent to the main seating for additional guests and also indoor seating available to watch the livestream.
For the health and safety of our community, attendees may be required to wear a face mask and/or show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test result within 72 hours before entering the event. Please check back for updated information closer to commencement and check your email.
Only students who have applied for graduation and have met the specific requirements for their declared major in the summer or fall of 2021 or the spring of 2022 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:
To participate in the ceremony, you should be a summer or fall graduate or are qualified to graduate in spring.
  1. Open period for online graduation application: spring, October 2–February 15.
  2. Summer and fall 2021 graduates, as well as potential graduates for spring 2022, will receive emails containing important information including deadlines, a link for in-person graduate participation as well as a link to their StageClip portal. 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.
  3. The StageClip site will open the week of March 21. All eligible graduates will receive an email with instructions to login to StageClip for uploading content (photos, messages, videos). Graduates will have until midnight on May 6, to upload their photos, videos, and messages. On May 11, the content will move over to production. No additional content can be added or changed after May 11.
  4. There will also be a separate link to indicate if you will be participating in person. Graduates will have until April 22 to respond.
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 and is now available for purchase in the campus bookstores.
Graduates can order regalia (cap, gown, tassel) and honor cords from any of the campus bookstoresnew window. They can also order directly from Jostensnew window. Click on graduation caps and gowns and then on student home ship. It will be mailed directly to their home.
Contact your campus coordinator for information about PTK stole distribution.
The diploma frame link can be found here:  Preorder your diploma framenew window. You will also be able to place an order at one of the Grad Finales.
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 Association, and get a formal photo taken by Classic Photography. There will also be other activities for graduates to participate in April and May. Grad Zoom question and answer sessions will take place the week of April 18, 2022. Check your College email frequently for graduate information.
  • Germantown: Tuesday, April 12, 11 a.m. –1 p.m.
  • Takoma Park/Silver Spring: Wednesday, April 13, 11 a.m. –1 p.m.
  • Rockville: Thursday, April 14, 1–4 p.m.
Complete and sign the Information Change Form (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window) and submit to the Office of Records and Registration for processing. For more information visit Update Your Student Information.

Additional Questions: If you have any additional questions, please contact the Office of Special Events. An events staff member will get back to you shortly.


2022 Commencement Sponsor


2021 Commencement

View 2021 Commencement highlights: video, graduate clips, roll call, speakers, scholars, and more.