“I want you to tell your stories because stories inspire.” Hundreds of mortarboard-laden heads nodded in agreement as President Freeman Hrabowski addressed the audience during UMBC’s 2018 Commencement Ceremonies.
This year’s ceremonies were the first winter exercises to be held in UMBC’s new Event Center. The location may have changed, but the sentiments remained the same. Family, friends, faculty, and staff arrived in droves to show their support for the newest cohort of UMBC alumni.
As they prepared to turn their tassels, members of Retriever Nation heard a final thought from President Hrabowski: “Know that you will always be connected to this institution. This is your home. We are a part of you and you are a part of us.”
It was a year of tremendous achievements for our graduates. From making transformative career connections, to embarking on impactful original research, to committing to the community at UMBC and beyond, to persevering in the face of adversity, this is just the beginning for the class of 2018.
Graduates and those cheering them on can share memories, well wishes, and photos through #UMBCgrad, and view UMBC’s Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter accounts for coverage of the festivities. Videos with captioning from both ceremonies can be found on UMBC’s YouTube page.
All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.
