CSM president bids farewell at 58th spring graduation
Retiring college leader urges graduating class to hold to their dreams
The College of Southern Maryland’s 58th spring graduation was bittersweet for college President Brad Gottfried, as it would be his last at the helm of the college he has led for almost 11 years.
“As I look forward to retirement, I know that I will truly miss serving our students, our employees and our community,” Gottfried said.
Gottfried served as guest speaker during the ceremony at the La Plata campus Thursday, pointing out that he shared something with the 300plus students waiting to receive their diplomas.
“I’ve got a lot in common with you the graduates this evening. We’re both closing the chapter called ‘The CSM Years,’” Gottfried said.
The college graduated 601 students — its largest graduating class to date — and awarded 642 associate degrees. The
college also awarded 270 certificates and, for the first time, recognized 18 trades students who had successfully completed their apprenticeship requirements and were moving on to journeyman status.
“Our noncredit graduates are equally important to us, and we’re making a statement with this,” Gottfried said.
Gottfried said each student had a dream. While their goals differed, those aspirations led each of the assembled students to cross the stage Thursday night.
“Every single one of these graduates has a dream — a dream to live a happy, healthy and productive life,” Gottfried said.
Sana Qureshi, 21, of Waldorf said she was moved to pursue a career in nursing after her father had a heart attack three years ago.
“The way the ICU nurses took care of him really influenced me,” Qureshi said. “After that, I definitely knew I wanted to pursue nursing.”
After a trip to Florida with 12 other students and professor Robin Young to work with ill children, Qureshi said she was moved to become a pediatric nurse.
“I want to work with terminally and chronically ill children,” Qureshi said. “These kids have so much hope in them, whereas sometimes we adults can come down with the flu and we feel like we’re dying, whereas kids can be terminally ill, but still have so much drive to live. And I just want to be part of that, for the kids and for the families.”
Qureshi was the Maryland Nursing Association’s Student of the Year, earned CSM’s Achievement in Nursing Award, and was a member of the Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society.
“I’ve always said that coming to CSM was the best choice I ever made. Their program is wonderful; we have small classrooms, as opposed to universities, where you can have hundreds in a classroom. Our professors know us by name, they know what’s going on in your life, and they’ll ask you about it, because they have that one-on-one connection with their students,” Qureshi said.
Qureshi plans to work full time while attending the University of Maryland at Baltimore nursing program.
Dominique Mitchell, 20, of Lusby said she decided to pursue a career teaching special education because of her 12-year-old brother.
“I didn’t want to specialize in special education until quite recently; my brother was diagnosed with autism,” Mitchell said. “I’ve seen how his teachers and his special educators work with him, and I’ve admired that quality.”
Although she is graduating, Mitchell will still be returning to CSM in the fall. Mitchell has been accepted into CSM’s “2+2” partnership program with Towson University, which allows education majors to take classes at CSM taught by Towson faculty.
“Financially it helps, and I’m very much a family person, so I’d like to stay home while going to college. Also, my brother will be going into high school, and he’ll be graduating when I earn my teaching degree, so I want to be around for that,” Mitchell said.
Family ties have also bound Nicholas Combs, 23, and Christina Combs, 22, of Chaptico. The siblings graduated together Thursday.
“I’ve been at CSM a year longer than her, so it was really different having her along. It’s been both a blessing and a curse, and I mean ‘curse’ in a good way, because she is there, and that is also a blessing at the same time,” Nicholas Combs said.
The two also served as president and vice president of the Leonardtown campus’ Student Association.
“It was interesting. A lot of things, he was like, ‘You can figure it out, you’re smart,’ and he would guide me, because he has very high expectations,” Christina Combs said.
“I don’t set expectations,” Nicholas Combs replied to his sister. “I give you the tools, I show you what you need to do, and let you do it. I don’t believe in micromanaging; I believe you’re more than capable.”
Christina majored in business and sociology, with a minor in political science. She said she plans to continue her education and hopes to become a business entrepreneur and start nonprofits to aid single mothers.
“One of my cousins was a pregnant teenager, and she took a long break from school, and because of that, she’s always playing catch-up, and now she’s a mom with two kids and it’s hard for her to get a degree. I wish that if she’d gotten help as a young mom, she wouldn’t have had to take such a big break from school,” Christina said.
Christina Combs said she’s enjoyed her time at CSM. “This college really shows people how to be the best they can be,” she said.
Nicholas majored in history and criminal justice.
“Basically, if one field doesn’t work, I can go into the other, but I’m really leaning towards history, because I want to take up teaching,” Nicholas said. He has earned extra credits at CSM, which he hopes to apply when he transfers to earn his bachelor’s degree next year.
“It’s cheaper, I’ve been able to live at home while going to CSM,” he said.
Gottfried urged students to hold on to their dreams and never let self-doubt get in their way.
“To live a good life, you must take risks and you must dare greatly,” Gottfried said. “Doubt is like a cancer that grows and invades our dreams.”