Dear Parents & Families,
The finish line is in sight. Whether your student is a senior preparing for graduation and life beyond St. Mary’s College of Maryland, a first-year student wrapping up their initial college experience, or somewhere in between, a big milestone is near. Amid the deadlines and transitions, they need your support more than ever. This issue brings some focus to life once classes end, whether it is through summer activities or life after graduation. We’re hopeful these monthly newsletters have been helpful to you in supporting your student; please send us your feedback and questions to communication@smcm.edu.
Commencement
The big day for our seniors is drawing near! Check the latest information on all things related to commencement on our website. Some important milestones / dates:
- LAST CHANCE to order caps & gowns (by March 31)
- Award Convocation, April 14
- Lavender Graduation, April 28
- Much more information is available on the website
Kidjo to Deliver Commencement Address
International superstar and goodwill ambassador Angélique Kidjo will be the 2023 Commencement speaker at St. Mary's College of Maryland on Saturday, May 13, 2023. The Commencement ceremony begins at 10 a.m. on the College's Townhouse Green in St. Mary's City. The five-time Grammy winner will perform in concert at the Nancy R. & Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center on the campus later that evening, beginning at 7 p.m.
"Angélique Kidjo has a voice I believe our graduates will want to hear - and not just her spectacular singing voice," said Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD, president of St. Mary's College of Maryland. "Just as she has done wonders to promote musical harmony across many disparate genres, her work as a goodwill ambassador has done much to promote cultural harmony - something that is much needed in today's world."
(read the full story on InsideSMCM)
A Summer Opportunity: Chesapeake Writers Conference
SMCM is again hosting the 10th Annual Chesapeake Writers Conference from June 18-24, and our excellent faculty will help writers tell their stories as only writers can. The conference features lectures, craft talks, readings, panel discussions and daily workshops in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. The faculty includes poet Phillis Levin, fiction writer Patricia Henley and creative nonfiction writer Angela Pelster. This year, we also feature a Youth Workshop led by Eva Freeman.
This is a great opportunity to immerse a young writer in an environment that can help them hone their craft. It’s also a great opportunity to pair your student with a younger sibling - or even a parent or grandparent - on a summer adventure! The first 25 registrants will also receive a St. Mary’s College of Maryland tote bag. Join us to see what happens when you immerse yourself in the words, water and woods at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Visit the Chesapeake Writers Conference website for more information.
Seahawk Spotlight
Summer Programs Provide Future Opportunities
by Emily Vance '25, marketing communications intern
Last summer, St. Mary’s College of Maryland student GraceAnne Nelson ’23 participated in the highly competitive Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program in Chinese. The U.S. Department of State program is an immersive cultural and linguistic experience aimed to aid American college and university students in learning languages essential to America’s global engagement.
GraceAnne Nelson is an international languages and cultures/Chinese and Asian Studies double major with a minor in political science. As a prominent member of campus life, GraceAnne serves as president of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) club and co-founder and vice president of Zero Degrees dance performance club. GraceAnne sought out the program and was recommended by her professors Jingqi Fu and Charles Musgrove. She admitted that the program was tough, saying that in a virtual program like this you get out what you put in. “There was a lot of pressure but through that process I felt that I improved a lot,” GraceAnne said. In terms of learning a second language in general, GraceAnne said she felt “very self conscious… but after coming out of CLS I felt more comfortable.”
GraceAnne’s academic accomplishments will be recognized as she is inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa national academic honor society on March 31. With graduation less than two months away, she is looking towards the future. GraceAnne wants to find a job that will help the AAPI community because that’s at the core of her passions. Eventually she wants to pursue a master’s degree or doctoral program and credits Professor Musgrove for helping her to find master’s programs overseas. Wherever her future takes her, GraceAnne will fully invest herself in her role.
From the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD)
What Can You Do with a Liberal Arts Degree?
By Geoffrey C. Lewis, director of career development
The short answer: almost anything!
Because a liberal arts degree includes a broad approach to preparing for life, it provides much greater flexibility than technical training programs. By emphasizing important skills like analytical reading, thoughtful writing and critical thinking, a liberal arts education helps prepare college graduates for whatever the future holds.
Myth: Some majors don’t prepare students well for success in the workplace.
Reality: In a rapidly changing world, employers need people with the ability to think creatively and who can innovate. As Burnett & Evans point out in "Designing Your Life," only 27% of U.S. grads work in a career directly related to their majors.
Myth: If I choose the “wrong” major, I’m stuck.
Reality: Employers care more about your ability to demonstrate career readiness competencies than about a specific major (see the NACE Career Readiness Competencies).
While people need specific certifications for some careers (such as medical careers), most careers only require these abilities: continually learning, communicating effectively, thinking critically, acting with integrity, being equitable and inclusive, and using teamwork.
Even when students struggle to define their career paths, they can be confident that their education has given them the skills they need to move forward into the future. For St. Mary’s College Seahawks, that future is brighter than ever!
(To see the full article, please go to the Parent & Family Resources page on the College website.)
From the Office of Student Success Services (OS3)
OS3 webinar
Please join us on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at 7 PM for the next Parent/Family Zoom Webinar: "The Great Debate: SMP vs. Senior Capstone." Staff from the Office of Student Success Services (OS3) and our Peer Academic Success Strategies (PASS) Specialists will explain the St. Mary's Project (SMP) and the Senior Capstone, and provide info on the pros and cons of doing one or the other. Senior year will be here before you know it! This session will be helpful to parents and family members as well as first- and second-year students. All are welcome.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://smcm.zoom.us/j/81307600894
Meeting ID: 813 0760 0894
Passcode: 242676
OS3 Wants to Hear from You!
In order to best serve our parents and families, please share with us your suggestions for future newsletter articles and/or Parent & Family Webinars. Please send an email to families@smcm.edu with your ideas and questions. We look forward to engaging with you! Thank you!
News & Events
President Jordan Named One of Maryland’s Top 100
For her outstanding leadership in her profession and in the community, St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD was named to the Daily Record’s 2023 Maryland’s Top 100 Women.
“The 2023 Maryland’s Top 100 Women are trailblazers. They are professionally successful, serve as leaders in the community and demonstrate a commitment to mentoring,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of The Daily Record/BridgeTower Media.