Graduation Ceremonies Begin May 24; Speakers Include Political Leaders, Educators, and Athletes

May 21, 2013
Political and government leaders, professional athletes, and local media personalities highlight this year’s list of speakers at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) graduation ceremonies, which begin this Friday and continue through June 12.

Graduations for 21 MCPS high schools will be held at DAR Constitution Hall (DAR), in Washington D.C. These ceremonies will be streamed live on the DAR Constitution Hall’s website. The first graduation ceremonies are Friday, May 24, for the Alternative Programs and Monday, May 28, for Col. Zadok Magruder and Winston Churchill high schools.

Several political leaders will be speaking at MCPS graduations, including Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown on May 29 (Paint Branch High School); U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, of Maryland, on June 11 (Sherwood High School); and U.S. Representative John Delaney, from the state’s 6th District, on June 4 (Quince Orchard High School). County Executive Isiah Leggett will speak on May 30 to graduates from the RICA program and Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro will address graduates from Wheaton High School on June 5.

From the sports world, Bill Ripken, a former Major League Baseball player and current broadcaster, will speak at the Damascus High School graduation on May 30; Bill O’Brien, football coach from Penn State University, will speak to graduates from Walt Whitman High School on June 7; and former NFL player Shawn Springs, a graduate of Springbrook High School, will address his alma mater on June 10.

Several graduations will feature speakers who are teachers and leaders in MCPS, including 2013-2014 MCPS Teacher of the Year Cristina Ulrich, who will address graduates from Gaithersburg High School on May 31.

The date, location, and speaker at this year’s graduations are:
(school or program, graduation date, time, facility, speaker)

- Alternative Programs, 5/24/2013, 10:30 a.m., F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville, Ms. Mary Bowman, Poet, Singer, Author
- Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, 6/6/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, Mr. Seth Goldman, president & ‘TeaEO’ of Honest Tea
- Montgomery Blair High School, 6/3/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, Mr. Derek McGinty, anchor, WUSA-TV
- James Hubert Blake High School, 5/30/2013, 10:00 a.m. DAR, Mr. Jim Vance, anchor, WRC-TV
- Clarksburg High School, 5/30/2013, 10:00 a.m., Mount St. Mary's University, Mr. Jeff Sullivan, athletics specialist, Montgomery County Public Schools
- Winston Churchill High School, 5/28/2013, 2:30 p.m., DAR, Mrs. Rachael Goslins, executive director, Presidential Committee on Arts and Humanities
- Damascus High School, 5/30/2013, 10:00 a.m., at the school, Mr. Bill Ripken, Major League Baseball studio analyst, former Major League Player
- Albert Einstein High School, 5/29/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, senior speakers
- Gaithersburg High School, 5/31/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, Mrs. Cristina A. Ulrich, 2013-2014 MCPS Teacher of the Year
- Gateway to College, 6/12/2013, 5:00 p.m., Montgomery College, student speakers
- Walter Johnson High School, 5/31/2013, 2:30 p.m., DAR, Ms. Eun Yang, anchor, WRC-TV
- John F. Kennedy High School, 6/7/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, Mr. Byron Stewart, motivational speaker
- Stephen Knolls School, 6/5/2013, 1:00 p.m., at the school, Reverend Monsignor John J. Enzler,  co-founder of Potomac Community Resources and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington
- Longview School, 6/12/2013, 10:00 a.m., Home, Mrs. Tara Johnson, senior class teacher and  Mrs. Adriana Friedman, transition support teacher 
- Col. Zadok Magruder High School, 5/28/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, Dr. David Steinberg, director, Division of Professional Growth Systems, MCPS (former Magruder principal)
- Model Learning Center, 6/7/2013, 1:30 p.m., Montgomery County Correctional Facility, Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard, president, Montgomery College
- Richard Montgomery High School, 6/11/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, Mr. Will Allen, farmer, founder & CEO Growing Power, Inc.
- Northwest High School, 6/5/2013, 2:30 p.m., DAR, Chaplain Barry C. Black, 62nd Chaplain of United States Senate
- Northwood High School, 6/10/2013, 2:30 p.m., DAR, Dr. Henry Johnson, assistant state superintendent, Maryland State Department of Education (former Northwood High School principal)
- Paint Branch High School, 5/29/2013, 2:30 p.m., DAR, Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland 
- Poolesville High School, 5/31/2013, 10:00 a.m., Mount St. Mary’s University, Ms. Joyce Bailey, teacher, Global Ecology Head of House
- Quince Orchard High School, 6/4/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, U.S. Representative John Delaney,  Maryland 6th District
- RICA, 5/30/2013, 10:00 a.m., at the school, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett
- Rock Terrace School, 6/7/2013, 10:00 a.m., at the school, Mr. John Pereria, director of Learning Center at Central Intelligence Agency
- Rockville High School, 6/4/2013, 7:30 p.m., Strathmore, Mrs. Carrie Vieira, teacher
- Seneca Valley High School, 6/3/2013, 2:30 p.m., DAR, Mrs. Judith P. Scott, assistant principal
- Sherwood High School, 6/11/2013, 2:30 p.m., DAR, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin,  Maryland
- Springbrook High School, 6/10/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, Mr. Shawn Springs, former NFL player (Springbrook alumnus)
- Watkins Mill High School, 6/12/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, Mr. Adam Schwartz, social studies resource teacher
- Wheaton High School, 6/5/2013, 10:00 a.m., DAR, Ms. Nancy Navarro, president, Montgomery County Council, and Ms. Tamara Battle, English teacher
- Walt Whitman High School, 6/7/2013, 2:30 p.m., DAR, Mr. Bill O'Brien, head football coach, Pennsylvania State University
- Thomas S. Wootton High School, 6/4/2013, 2:30 p.m., DAR, Mrs. Cecilia Munoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council

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