{"id":15910,"date":"2026-05-15T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/pr\/?p=15910"},"modified":"2026-07-13T20:42:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T00:42:22","slug":"umes-graduates-hit-the-finish-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/umes-graduates-hit-the-finish-line\/","title":{"rendered":"UMES graduates hit the finish line"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"College
University of Maryland Eastern Shore graduate David Martin celebrates as he crosses the stage during the 139th Spring Commencement on May 15, 2026, at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. (Joey Gardner Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

When University of Maryland Eastern Shore senior David Martin<\/strong> took the stage on May 15, he had the perfect way to sum up his experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin, an exercise science major and Jamaica native, was chosen to address more than 300 students who had their degrees conferred during the 139th<\/sup> Spring Commencement at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His message to the audience reflected what he knew best and what others could relate to \u2014 running a race. The analogy was fitting for Martin, a four-year member of the UMES track team and a middle-distance runner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo be here today, for me, is much more than a ceremony. I am the little island boy who dared to dream,\u201d he said to the largest UMES graduating class in five years. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s commencement featured Maryland State Senator Cory McCray<\/strong> as the keynote speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCray, who represents Northeast and East Baltimore City<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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More than 300 University of Maryland Eastern Shore graduates watch keynote speaker Maryland State Senator Cory McCray during the University’s 139th Spring Commencement at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center on May 15, 2026. (Joey Gardner photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cExposure creates opportunity, but opportunity only matters if you do something with your time,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you want a different life, you\u2019re going to have to be uncomfortable. Being comfortable will waste your time, but being uncomfortable can change your life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the graduates who have crossed the finish line, some have done so at a record pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victoria Casteel<\/strong>, an allied health major from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, sprinted to the end in just three years<\/a>, doing so while immersing herself in the complete college experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"College
University of Maryland Eastern Shore graduate Victoria Casteel hugs President Heidi M. Anderson during the 139th Spring Commencement on May 15, 2026, at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. (Joey Gardner Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

She knew what her next benchmark was \u2014 becoming a plastic surgeon \u2014 and was motivated to finish this leg of the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had a strong sense of what was coming next,\u201d she said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hasanatou Barry<\/strong>\u2019s journey to the finish line came with a few obstacles, including a decision to almost leave school, before she hit her stride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After finding her rhythm, Barry found her purpose serving in various leadership positions<\/a> and participating in several internships. One of those internships led to a job at Lockheed Martin in Colorado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barry, who also served as Miss 1886, said what made her run a successful one was the support she received.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUMES is very intentional, and you\u2019ll be able to find your home and community here,\u201d she said. \u201cThe faculty care and your professors want to see you succeed. You have to be willing to put in the work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others have finished the race before but decided to get back into it after a long layoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Jean Goblinger<\/strong>, who earned her PhD in organizational leadership<\/a>, returned to school 24 years after receiving her master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The time away from school helped give her the motivation to finish that she likely would not have had in her mid-twenties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it would\u2019ve been a much different experience if I had attempted getting my PhD after my master\u2019s degree because I didn\u2019t have that maturity, drive, or focus,\u201d the Salisbury resident said. \u201cHaving all these experiences helped push me through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Graduation
University of Maryland Eastern Shore graduate David Martin addresses the audience during the student commentary at the 139th Spring Commentary on May 15, 2026, at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. (Joey Gardner Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Goblinger, who had a full array of supporters cheering her on, was front and center in the winner\u2019s circle after not attending her master\u2019s degree graduation in 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m so excited about participating in the ceremony because it\u2019s the final celebration of all that hard work and the people who helped with that,\u201d she said. \u201cTo have my husband, my children and my family here for this means so much to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Princess Anne native Audrey Spence<\/strong>, who received her master\u2019s in rehabilitation therapy<\/a>, made her decision to return to school in the fall of 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spence, a 2007 alumna and the lead childcare specialist for infants and toddlers at UMES\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the 15-year hiatus could have been an easy excuse to not pursue her master\u2019s degree, she already envisioned the finish line ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always tell everybody, \u2018if you don\u2019t see it before you see it, then you\u2019ll never see it,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you don\u2019t see yourself pursuing and if you don\u2019t see yourself succeeding, then you\u2019ll never get there. You have to keep digging, keep going, keep pushing, and keep looking forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe final mile was long and demanding, but every early morning, every late night, every step we took has led us here,\u201d he said. \u201cWhile the journey has been exhausting, it has been extraordinary. We are stronger, wiser, and ready to take on the next race in our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs 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.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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….Read more UMES graduates hit the finish line<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1559,"featured_media":15917,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","wds_primary_category":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[103],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-15910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1559"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15910"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15910\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15910"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=15910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}