Montgomery College will celebrate the achievements of the class of 2024 at the 77th Annual Commencement Exercises Friday, May 17, at 10:30 a.m. The event will take place on the Rockville Campus Athletic Field and will honor students from the Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring campuses, as well as those from Workforce Development and Continuing Education programs. Additionally, the ceremony will recognize the Board of Trustees Academic Excellence honorees and four honorary degree recipients.
This year’s graduating class comprises 3,073 awardees, with 1,155 graduates set to process on Friday. Reflecting the rich diversity of Montgomery County, these graduates hail from at least 118 countries. Among the class of 2024, students identify themselves as Asian (16%), Black/African American (23%), foreign students (10%), Hispanic (26%), White (21%), and Multiracial (4%).
A significant portion of the graduating students, sixty-eight percent, are alumni of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The class also boasts a wide range of ages, with 3% under 18 years old, 11% between 18-19 years old, 46% between 20-24 years old, and 30% over the age of 35.
Watch Ceremony Streamed Live
For those unable to attend the ceremony in person, options for viewing at home are available. The ceremony will be broadcast live below:
Board of Trustees Academic Excellence Awardees
Each year, Montgomery College recognizes exceptional students as Board of Trustees awardees. The five students in the class of 2024 are:
Charles David Thompson
Applied Technologies, Gudelsky Institute for Technical Education, and Workforce Development and Continuing Education
Mr. Charles David Thompson, an environmental horticulture major, is graduating with a 3.9 grade point average. He received the David M. Rubenstein Economic Club of Washington, D.C. and the Charles and Estelle Feigenbaum Scholarships for academic achievement.
Jenifer Tatiana Navas Morales
Arts, Business, Education, English, and Social Sciences
Ms. Jenifer Tatiana Navas Morales, an early childhood education/special education major and member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average.
Joanee Catalina Dias
Communications, Health Sciences, Health and Physical Education, and Humanities
Ms. Joanee C. Dias, a criminal justice major and member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 3.9 grade point average. Dias was a member of the Montgomery Scholars honors program and served as a senator at large for one semester at the Rockville Campus. She received the Robert Gruenberg Memorial Endowed Scholarship and the Honors Scholar award.
Monica Selena Escalante Escobar
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Ms. Monica Selena Escalante Escobar, an electrical engineering major and member of Phi Theta Kappa, is graduating with a 3.86 grade point average. Born and raised in El Salvador, she moved to the United States in 2012.
Robert Donald Walsh
Workforce Development and Continuing Education Apprenticeship Program
Mr. Robert Donald Walsh is completing a two-year apprenticeship program as an automotive technician. He is graduating with a 3.8 grade point average. He is enrolled in the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association apprentice-related instruction program. A two-year employee of Jim Coleman Cadillac, he will assume the role of automotive technician upon graduation.
For more information about Friday’s commencement ceremony, visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/commencement.
Photo courtesy Montgomery College 2022 commencement
