Ask Lloyd Dunbar how he describes his time at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and the graduating senior has a unique metaphor that explains it.
“It was like the life cycle of a butterfly,” said Dunbar, a general studies major from Owings Mills, Maryland. “You start off as a caterpillar, trying to fit in; then you start to build your cocoon, which is when you find your support system and take in all of the knowledge you’ve received. Then, the time eventually comes where you break out of that cocoon and spread your wings and become something beautiful.”
Dunbar, one of 229 students receiving their degrees during UMES’ 28th Winter Commencement on Dec. 13, came to campus in the Fall of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was during this time that his metamorphosis began.
“When I first started on campus, I was shy and closed off,” he said. “I spent the first few months locked in my room.”
Through his interactions with the Residence Life staff in Wicomico Hall, he learned more about what UMES has to offer.
“I was able to incorporate myself into the different clubs and organizations on campus while also learning how to network with my professors and other campus leaders,” he said. “That and the transition back to in-person courses were some of the biggest adjustments that I needed to make.”
It was through those changes that Dunbar was able to make a name for himself. During his tenure at UMES, he has been Mr. Maroon and Gray, served as a member of the Student Government Association, and was a student worker in the Office of Alumni Relations.
Dunbar said these experiences helped him understand the importance of making a lasting impact.
“What I learned is that it’s never how you start, but how you finish,” he said. “There are things that are going to happen, but it’s life. How you handle those things and how you grow from those things is what truly matters.”
Making a pivot to general studies from his initial plan of being a biology major, Dunbar is now headed to the Maryland State Police Academy, something which was necessitated by another life transformation – a new daughter.
As Dunbar readies for his UMES graduation – his high school graduation was postponed due to COVID – he was able to truly reflect on how his journey at UMES transformed him.
“This is a pretty big moment for a lot of reasons,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of people who changed my life for the better and who have become my greatest supporters. They made me somebody that I can look into the mirror and be proud of.”
