When University of Maryland Eastern Shore senior David Martin took the stage on May 15, he had the perfect way to sum up his experience.
Martin, an exercise science major and Jamaica native, was chosen to address more than 300 students who had their degrees conferred during the 139th Spring Commencement at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.
His message to the audience reflected what he knew best and what others could relate to — running a race. The analogy was fitting for Martin, a four-year member of the UMES track team and a middle-distance runner.
“To be here today, for me, is much more than a ceremony. I am the little island boy who dared to dream,” he said to the largest UMES graduating class in five years. “I left Jamaica with nothing but faith, ambition, and the belief that I could become more than what my circumstances suggested. There were no guarantees, just a dream and the courage to chase it. Today, we stand at the finish line of a journey that has tested us, shaped us, and defined us.”
This year’s commencement featured Maryland State Senator Cory McCray as the keynote speaker.
McCray, who represents Northeast and East Baltimore City, told his own story of how he achieved his dreams after an early childhood spent in and out of the juvenile justice system. He credits those changes to going beyond the four blocks he knew growing up in Baltimore and earning an apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
“Exposure creates opportunity, but opportunity only matters if you do something with your time,” he said. “If you want a different life, you’re going to have to be uncomfortable. Being comfortable will waste your time, but being uncomfortable can change your life.”
Among the graduates who have crossed the finish line, some have done so at a record pace.
Victoria Casteel, an allied health major from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, sprinted to the end in just three years, doing so while immersing herself in the complete college experience.
As a member of the inaugural cohort of the STEM STARS program, the Richard A. Henson Honors program, Student Government Association, and the campus chapters of both the NAACP and National Council of Negro Women, Casteel showed no fatigue in setting her personal best.
She knew what her next benchmark was — becoming a plastic surgeon — and was motivated to finish this leg of the race.
“I had a strong sense of what was coming next,” she said. “I have an idea in my head of what I want my life to look like, so it was all about properly trying to map those things out to make it work.”
Hasanatou Barry’s journey to the finish line came with a few obstacles, including a decision to almost leave school, before she hit her stride.
After finding her rhythm, Barry found her purpose serving in various leadership positions and participating in several internships. One of those internships led to a job at Lockheed Martin in Colorado.
Barry, who also served as Miss 1886, said what made her run a successful one was the support she received.
“UMES is very intentional, and you’ll be able to find your home and community here,” she said. “The faculty care and your professors want to see you succeed. You have to be willing to put in the work.”
Others have finished the race before but decided to get back into it after a long layoff.
Dr. Jean Goblinger, who earned her PhD in organizational leadership, returned to school 24 years after receiving her master’s degree.
The time away from school helped give her the motivation to finish that she likely would not have had in her mid-twenties.
“I think it would’ve been a much different experience if I had attempted getting my PhD after my master’s degree because I didn’t have that maturity, drive, or focus,” the Salisbury resident said. “Having all these experiences helped push me through.”
Goblinger, who had a full array of supporters cheering her on, was front and center in the winner’s circle after not attending her master’s degree graduation in 2004.
“I’m so excited about participating in the ceremony because it’s the final celebration of all that hard work and the people who helped with that,” she said. “To have my husband, my children and my family here for this means so much to me.”
Princess Anne native Audrey Spence, who received her master’s in rehabilitation therapy, made her decision to return to school in the fall of 2022.
Spence, a 2007 alumna and the lead childcare specialist for infants and toddlers at UMES’ Child and Family Development Center, said she knew she had to be in the right mindset to balance family life, her career, and her classes.
While the 15-year hiatus could have been an easy excuse to not pursue her master’s degree, she already envisioned the finish line ahead.
“I always tell everybody, ‘if you don’t see it before you see it, then you’ll never see it,” she said. “If you don’t see yourself pursuing and if you don’t see yourself succeeding, then you’ll never get there. You have to keep digging, keep going, keep pushing, and keep looking forward.”
As Martin closed his speech, his final words to the crowd focused on letting everyone know that while this race was over, there were plenty more ahead.
“The final mile was long and demanding, but every early morning, every late night, every step we took has led us here,” he said. “While the journey has been exhausting, it has been extraordinary. We are stronger, wiser, and ready to take on the next race in our lives.
“As we step off this campus and into the world, remember that life, like a marathon, is not about how fast you run, but about the perseverance, resilience, and the courage to keep moving forward.”
