There will be an extended Mother’s Day for thousands of University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) students this year –the mothers in the Class of 2025.
They are single moms who stayed up late to study while their children were asleep and the servicemembers who hit the books during deployments. They are the entrepreneurs who enrolled at UMGC to gain the skills needed to take their companies to the next level and the women in the workforce who wanted to advance or change careers. They are the adult learners who were determined to set an example for their children.
“At UMGC, we believe it is never too late to get your degree. Women—mothers—who commit to the hard work to reach that goal are opening new career doors and richer earning opportunities. They are positioning themselves to better support their children and the future of their families, even while showing their children the power of lifelong learning,” said UMGC President Gregory Fowler.
“We know it is not easy to be an adult learner—to juggle family, jobs, classes and all the other demands life throws your way—and we celebrate the achievements of all our graduates,” Fowler added. “But this year, thinking about Mother’s Day, I am especially pleased to recognize and congratulate the student mothers in the Class of 2025.”
UMGC’s rolling graduation ceremonies, which unfold on three continents, are on track to be the university’s largest-ever degree and certificate conferral. The stateside ceremony, Grad Walk, takes place in Maryland on May 15-18—just days after Mother’s Day.
Every mother who takes the stage during Grad Walk has a story. They include a mother of seven who receives her degree 40 years after promising her own mother that she would be the first in her family to finish college. And the mother who graduates at the same time her son finishes high school. And the mother who pushed her children to study, only to have those children turn the tables and encourage her to return to the classroom.
Many of the graduates postponed their educations to raise their families. For some, not only their children will attend their graduation ceremony but also their grandchildren.
“My mother was a school teacher and she was a powerful influence in my life,” Fowler said. “She encouraged curiosity, pushed me to excel and created an environment in our home that embraced learning. I know firsthand the outsize role mothers can play in instilling a love of and respect for education.”
In honor of Mother’s Day, during the week of May 5-9 UMGC is highlighting a sampling of mothers who never lost sight of their academic aspirations:
Monday, May 5:
After a 33-Year Break, Sonja Wray-Brewer Finishes One Degree--and Starts Another
Tuesday, May 6:
UMGC Grad Fulfills 40-Year Promise
Wednesday, May 7:
Overcoming Doubt Danielle LoRae Ellington Shares Graduation Milestone with Son
Thursday, May 8:
Remarkable NASA Opportunity Pushed New UMGC Grad Back to School
Friday, May 9:
From Teen Mom to CEO: Ronnette Meyers’ Journey to a College Degree
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