May 8th, 2019 by WCBC Radio

The accomplishments of more than 275 students will be recognized during Allegany College of Maryland’s 57^th spring commencement exercises on Saturday, May 18 in Cumberland. Associate degrees and certificates will be awarded to members of the 2019 class at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Physical Education Building. Students in allied health programs take part in the afternoon ceremony while those in career and transfer programs attend the morning exercises.

Commencement exercises for ACM Bedford County Campus students will be held on Monday, May 20 at Everett Area High School at 7 p.m.

ACM President Dr. Cynthia S. Bambara will open the Cumberland campus programs with a welcome to the candidates for graduation and their guests. ACM Board of Trustees Chair Kim B. Leonard will offer greetings.

Marie Williams of Cumberland and Antonio Cummings of Oxen Hill will offer the student address in the morning ceremony while Syully Koroh of Cumberland and Samantha Stott of Barton will present in the afternoon.

Williams, a Multimedia Technology major with a 3.83 GPA who will also receive a Letter of Recognition in Photography, is a GED recipient originally from Ohio. A nontraditional student and mother of a high school sophomore from Ohio, she worked as a bookkeeper and singer before enrolling at ACM in 2015. Williams, a widow who lost her husband shortly before starting classes, is a Pathways for Success program graduate. Upon graduation, she plans to work as a freelance graphic designer and a bookkeeper for Gornall Construction. In her address, Williams will talk about pursuing your life goals when your world is unexpectedly turned upside down. 

Cummings is a Sociology Area of Concentration and General Studies major with a 3.34 GPA who will also receive a Letter of Recognition in Leadership. A graduate of Potomac High School who grew up in challenging circumstances, he lost his only parent to cancer while a young teen. Cummings gained direction thanks to a mentor, Edwin Baptiste, who inspired him to earn a sociology degree to help others. A resident advisor at Willowbrook Woods Student Housing Complex, Cummings founded ACM’s Aspiring Young MENtors student club and served as president of both the NAACP Student Club and Student Government Association. A member of ACM’s Phi Theta Kappa honor society, he will attend Towson University in fall 2019 as a mass communications major. In his speech, Cummings will address using challenges as opportunities for growth, maturity and character building.

Koroh is a Human Service Associate major with a 4.0 GPA and SMA 27 High School graduate. A non-traditional student originally from Indonesia, Koroh juggled multiple jobs to support her family and put two of her siblings through college. She arrived in the U.S. in 2010 and enrolled at ACM in 2017 to realize her goal of becoming a counselor. A member of ACM’s Phi Theta Kappa honor society, Koroh was the Washington, D.C.-Maryland State President for PTK. Koroh will attend Frostburg State University in fall 2019 as a psychology major. In her speech, she will discuss her immigrant experience and father’s advice about finding internal power when you feel powerless.

Stott, a Medical Laboratory Technology major with a 3.37 GPA, is a Mountain Ridge High School graduate. An ACM alumnae, she graduated from Frostburg State University with a B.S. in Psychology in 2013 and worked as an intake counselor for a mental health and disability rehabilitation center. Seeking a new path, she enrolled at ACM in 2017 while working full-time and caring for her toddler. Hired in March, Stott is currently working as a laboratory technician at the Garrett Regional Medical Center. In her address, Stott will talk about feeling stuck, the labels we put on ourselves and others and uprooting your life to achieve greater fulfillment.

Faculty members will announce the names of the graduates as they walk to receive their associate degrees and certificates. ACM Instructional and Student Affairs Senior Vice President Dr. Kurt Hoffman will present the candidates for graduation, and Leonard will award eligible graduates their diplomas, assisted by Commencement Grand Marshal Jenna Gallion and Assistant Grand Marshal Stacey Rohrbaugh, both ACM professors.

The West Virginia Brass Quintet will perform throughout the commencement exercises.

Commencement attendees are encouraged to arrive early to obtain convenient parking. For additional information, visit allegany.edu or call 301-784-5005.