Harford Community College Holds 64th Annual Commencement Ceremony

Harford Community College held its Sixty-Fourth Annual Commencement on May 26, 2022. To ensure the safety of the graduates, their families and friends, two ceremonies were held this year in the APGFCU Arena. The 2 PM ceremony was for graduates of the Arts and Humanities and the Behavioral and Social Sciences divisions, and the 6 PM ceremony was for graduates of the Business and Applied Technology, Nursing and Allied Health Professions, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math divisions. In traditional cap and gown ceremonies, graduates of the Class of 2022 received an associate degree and/or certificate at the events. Approximately 350 of the more than 800 Harford Community College graduates crossed the stage during Thursday’s ceremonies.

Faculty Marshall James M. McFarland led the processional at the 2 PM ceremony and Faculty Marshall Tamalene J. Imbierowicz led the processional at the 6 PM ceremony. Both ceremonies began with a welcome from Dr. Theresa B. Felder, President of Harford Community College. Student soloist Grace Nyeswah sang “The National Anthem.” Laura L. Henninger, Esq., Chair of the Harford Community College Board of Trustees, offered greetings.

Vice President for Academic Affairs Timothy A. Sherwood, PhD, presented the candidates for graduation, and Dr. Felder conferred the degrees and certificates. Harford’s Class of 2022 includes August and December 2021 graduates and May 2022 candidates for graduation.

Julia C. Halliwell delivered the Student Graduate Address at 2 PM. Julia served as SGA President for the 2021-2022 academic year. She is a member of Harford’s Honors Program and Phi Theta Kappa. She is transferring to the University of Maryland to study Economics.

Katie M. Young delivered the Student Graduate Address at 6 PM. Katie completed Harford Community College’s nursing program while dually enrolled with University of Maryland School of Nursing. She will continue her studies at the University of Maryland this fall to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. During her time at Harford, Katie served as President of both the Student Nurses Association and Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society. She participated in the Emerging Leaders program and was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa and Psi Beta Honor Societies. Katie also worked as a Peer Educator for the Sexual Assault and Violence Education Project on campus.

Brittany Arroyo and Shreeyam Mishra were presented with Outstanding Student Leadership Awards from Jacqueline S. Jackson, PhD, Vice President for Student Success. This award recognizes a student who has earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 and has made significant overall contributions to the College and community where personal time, effort, and dedication are evident.

Brittany Arroyo, a sociology major who has completed her associate degree, will be transferring to a four-year college in the fall. She is a member of the College’s Honors Program and has served as the Director of Public Relations of the Honors Student Council. Brittany also served as secretary and senator for the Student Government Association and vice president of chapter events for Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. While balancing school and participating in clubs and organizations on campus, she is also a mother of two girls. The past few years have been challenging for all, but Brittany was able to see a bright spot out of the pandemic by contributing to her campus virtually, which would not have been an option before.

Shreeyam Mishra is in Harford Community College’s associate-to-bachelor's dual enrollment nursing program with Towson University. She is President of the Rho Beta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Vice President of the Student Government Association, and a council member representing community colleges for the Maryland Higher Education Commission Student Advisory Council. She has served as an officer for Psi Beta and the Do Good Club. She was a student representative on the College’s Academic Technology Advisory Committee and served on the Middle States Self-Study Working Groups. She also joined Harford’s Emerging Leaders program, designed to prepare students for leadership in the classroom, workplace, and community. She was a participant in the virtual alternative winter break.

Dr. Felder presented Sandra M. Osborn, Senior Vice President/Operations Officer at Harford Bank, with the 2022 Harford Community College Distinguished Alumni Award. The award honors the achievements of former students who have attained outstanding success in their chosen profession, demonstrated a commitment to the community, and maintained an interest in and service to Harford Community College.