Grads

What is a Hub? W. Edward Forrest, vice president of the Washington County Board of Education, said Friday during the North Hagerstown High School graduation ceremony that he hears that question all the time. "Hubs are the teachers and staff who come early, stay late and reach out personally to help support and encourage students of all academic levels," Forrest said. "Hubs are involved in their school and community. Hubs are champions on the field and in the classroom .... Hubs rally around and lend a shoulder to students who have suffered the loss of a parent or friend in the community.

The longer Rebecca J. Burcham spoke about her school career in Hancock, the more her voice cracked with emotion. Burcham, the salutatorian of Hancock Middle-Senior High School's Class of 2011, encouraged her classmates to think how they can best fulfill their purpose and allow themselves to be guided, when necessary. "Don't be afraid of moving forward," she said. For some in the class, the next step is college, particularly Hagerstown Community College or Allegany College of Maryland.

Washington County school board member Justin M. Hartings Tuesday night congratulated the largest-ever graduating class at Washington County Technical High School — 216 students — for its hard work during the school's annual commencement exercises. Hartings said the school's 2011 graduating class deserved special recognition because the students chose to go to the school. Students who want to attend the school must apply, and acceptance is based on attendance, behavior, and grades, school Registrar Kathy McKinley said.

Dawn and Dave Myers are regulars at Jefferson High School graduations. They watched Sunday night as Daniel Myers, the fourth of their six children, marched across the stage for his diploma. Daniel Myers, who graduated summa cum laude, plans to spend the next four years at The U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Nearly half of the 297 Jefferson High School seniors graduated with honors. The school’s 39th commencement ceremony was held in the Butcher Center at Shepherd University.

The world is constantly changing, and Berkeley Springs High School valedictorian Jennifer Burdock urged her classmates at graduation Sunday evening to keep an open mind and a grateful attitude in all their future endeavors. “Be willing to learn something new every day,” Burdock said. “Be proud of the supporting community you come from. Be thankful for all who have helped you along your way. Be passionate in whatever you choose to do. And be honest to yourself, with others and with your work.” It was standing room only as hundreds of family and friends packed into the Berkeley Springs stadium for the 122nd ceremony, which welcomed 160 graduates into the next phase of their young lives.

They're the same height, but the similarities between fraternal twins Allyson Brooke and Jade Nicole Angeline seem to end there, even in the careers they will pursue after graduating Saturday from Hedgesville (W.Va.) High School. The 18-year-old twins were part of Hedgesville's graduating class of 370 seniors. Allyson, a brunette, will head to West Virginia University in the fall to study criminology, while Jade, a blonde, will go to Fairmont (W.Va.) State University to learn how to become a radiology technician.

Nathan Jalazo told fellow graduates of Martinsburg High School Friday evening not to look back at what they will be missing as they are forced from their "nest," but to look forward at what is to come. "The only way we can reach our full potential is to step out of our comfort zones and experience it for ourselves," the school's National Honor Society president told classmates gathered at Shepherd University's Butcher Center to celebrate the school's 133rd commencement with a gymnasium full of family and friends.

Jabari Emanuel credits the challenges he faced at Washington County Technical High School with helping him prepare for the rigors of his electrical engineering studies at Morgan State University. Now a senior majoring in electrical engineering at Morgan State in Baltimore, Emanuel is a 2006 graduate of Tech High. He studied under Martin Nikirk in Tech High’s computer game development and animation program, which back then was called advanced computer applications. “My experience at Tech High was a great one. I was able to learn many different skills in the field of computer gaming,” Emanuel wrote in an email.

There was no grandiose behavior or showboating across the stage. The 13 members of the Class of 2011 from Marshall Street School/Washington County Job Development Program merely took their diplomas and were thankful. “Personally, this has made me a stronger person,” Peter Kuczera told about 120 people Thursday during the program’s graduation ceremony. “I attended four different high schools within four years, which created even more stress, but I made it through. Although the path has not always been smooth, here we are Class of 2011, ready and eager to receive our certificates and get on with our lives.” Students with disabilities attend the school, in part, to receive vocational training, and to enhance their reading and writing skills to become more employable in the job market.

A Boonsboro High School graduate recently received a $2,000 scholarship from the Maryland Retired School Personnel Association. David Wayne Hoffman is attending Mount St. Mary’s University to become a special-education teacher. Hoffman formerly worked as an instructional assistant in Hawaii and is employed by Urbana Middle School in Ijamsville, Md., as a special-education instructional assistant. He is a single father of three teenagers. Hoffman received the scholarship May 10 at the association’s annual business meeting at Michael’s Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie.