UMGC Global Media Center Author: Rebecca Foss

Kendsley Rodriguez paid a high price en route to his Bachelor of Business Administration with a certificate in human resource management, but it didn’t have anything to do with money. It was all about pain, which came in tandem with two urgent surgeries to address dangerous brain hemorrhages.

That Siera Woods is graduating with a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland Global Campus on Dec. 16 is nothing short of remarkable. To say she had a difficult upbringing is an understatement. She had her first child at age 12. She and her daughter were taken in by a foster care family before they arrived in Washington, D.C., in 2010 to live with relatives.

When Lucreatia Perry receives her bachelor's degree during Winter Grad Walk 2022 at UMG—with her four children, husband and other relatives cheering—she not only will have proof that she has overcome the odds, but she’ll be ready for a career aimed at justice.

Profile of Mohamed Babiker, student speaker at the UMGC 2022 virtual winter commencement ceremony.

UMGC graduates take many paths to complete their degrees. The university will feature more than a dozen in profiles that showcase their dedication and perseverance during their educational journeys and how they kept their eyes on the prize.

The Overseas Marylanders Association—faculty and staff who worked for UMGC outside the United States—came together to honor servicemembers on Veteran’s Day, toast a new university gallery dedicated to Asian art and share stories about their experiences as professors who traveled the world to teach military personnel on bases—and even in war zones.