Class of 2023 shares pride ahead of Commencement
For the graduating class of The University of Baltimore, Commencement is about more than pomp and circumstance—it’s a dream fulfilled, an obstacle overcome, a second chance honored.
“Graduation means closing one door and opening the next,” said Hannah Krupa, a M.S. in Applied Psychology student, Industrial-Organizational Psychology concentration. “As you’re closing that door behind you, you’re looking at and reflecting on everything you’ve accomplished so far—all of the hardships you faced, everything you’ve learned, all the people you’ve met—and you’re using all that to open a new door and face whatever comes your way.”
There were times when Courtney Neil, a B.S. in Criminal Justice student, questioned if he could make it to the end of his program. In his most trying moments, support from his family, especially his now-late grandmother, motivated him to push forward.
“Everyone was in my corner saying you’ve got to keep going, and because of that, the positive vibes and positive energy, I fed off of that,” he said.
As Neil looks ahead after UBalt and pursues a career as a parole officer or detective, he knows he will face more obstacles, but earning his college degree is the proof he needed that he is ready for whatever comes next.
Kelly Gilliss hopes to use his degree, a a B.S. in Human Services Administration, to help others in gratitude to those that helped him in his journey.
“There’s so many people out there that need help and need support,” he said, “and with my knowledge, and what I’ve learned from UBalt, I know I’ll be able to go out there and help others with a lot of things in their lives that they need some support with, that can really help them become successful people.”
Gilliss started taking UBalt classes at Jessup Correctional Institution as part of UBalt’s Second Chance College Program, through Pell Grant funding, which brings post-secondary educational opportunities to incarcerated individuals.
This May, Gilliss and Kenneth Bond will become the UBalt program’s second and third graduates.
As a first-generation college student, Gilliss spoke of the value of education instilled in him by his hard-working parents who urged him to achieve more than they had.
“If you have an education, it puts you in line, it puts you side by side with a lot of other great people and it can only make things better for you.”
Lia White, a M.S. in Applied Psychology student, Counseling Psychology concentration, is relishing the sense of accomplishment she gets with her graduation from UBalt.
She is proud to earn her master’s degree and looks forward to making her mark on the world, but first she is simply ecstatic to hear her name called, receive her diploma, and find her moment in the spotlight—a moment that has been delayed when her undergraduate graduation ceremony in 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This May, she’ll get her degree and the closure she’s long wanted.
“I’m planning on having as much family as I can,” White said.
With her degree, White looks forward to helping people find solutions to problems they have encountered.
For Dave McLaughlin, a B.A. in Digital Communication student, walking across the stage at Commencement seemed for so long to be a dream just out of reach.
Not long after starting at UBalt, he had to miss a semester to recover from a heart transplant surgery. He took one step and one day at a time until he could return to the classroom and finish what he started.
“Graduation, to me, means that I’ve accomplished my goal setting out and finishing school and getting my degree, which has been a long, long time coming,” McLaughlin said. “My journey was not an easy one, coming back to school. It started off with me getting sick and taking that opportunity to really refocus on what’s important in life. … Getting my college degree is a great experience.”
McLaughlin hopes to find a job in media design and production and eventually wants to pursue graduate school.
Graduation is a dream come true for Kayla Jones, a first-generation college student who will earn her B.S. in Forensic Studies.
“I get to make my mom proud, my family proud, me proud,” she said.
An internship enlightened Jones to a potential career as a juvenile case manager and now she can’t wait to get started working in the criminal justice field.
And while she’s looking forward to a break from the homework and exams, Jones, like McLaughlin, already knows this degree won’t likely be her last.
Whether it’s an advanced degree, a new career, or a new experience not yet imagined, as Krupa said, Commencement opens the door to many new opportunities.
“It’s terrifying going into the unknown,” she said. “But that’s also what makes it so exciting.”
Learn more about May Commencement, including the 2023 student speakers and special guests.