Mount St. Mary's University will host its 215th commencement exercises at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 13 in Knott Arena. The ceremony will celebrate the achievements of 616 graduates, including Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coach Todd Bowles and student speaker Rita Anoh. In addition, the Mount will graduate its first-ever students from the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis program.
Commencement Speakers:
The commencement speaker is Karen Mataldi Dahut, C'85, CEO of Google Public Sector (GPS). A respected and recognized public speaker and author, she is an expert on technology, the future of work, innovation and inclusive leadership. In 2021, she received the university's Simon Brute Medal, which is given to alumni who have distinguished themselves through their career, commitment to the community and the Mount, and service to their fellow citizens. She will be honored with a doctorate of humane letters in recognition of her service to the university and the local and global communities.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles, who in the fall of 2022 earned a Bachelor of Science in youth and community development through the university's Center for Accelerated and Adult Education, will also address the graduates. Bowles is entering his second season as head coach of the Buccaneers following three seasons as the team's defensive coordinator. Previously he was head coach of the New York Jets. He also played eight years in the NFL, with the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) and San Francisco 49ers. He has three Super Bowl rings as a player (Washington), coach (Tampa Bay) and administrator (Green Bay Packers).
The student speaker is Rita Anoh, recipient of the 2023 Edward J. Flanagan Memorial Prize, awarded to the member of the senior class who best represents the tradition of the university in scholarship, conduct, and leadership. Anoh, a resident of Westminster, Maryland, is a double major in biochemistry and French. A member of the Honors and Fellows Programs, Anoh has earned many academic honors during her time at the Mount. She was awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, one of the nation’s highest honors for an undergraduate planning to pursue a career in the STEM fields, an internship to work in a lab at the California Institute of Technology, and a fellowship in the Summer Research Program in Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is a contributing author to two peer-reviewed articles, one in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and the other in Methods in Molecular Biology. She will pursue a Ph.D. in structural biology at MIT.
Notable graduates, listed in alphabetical order:
Thunlwyn Garcia
Garcia, an entrepreneurship major, demonstrated the power of the Mount community this spring when he and his partner Anthony Milazzo, C'24, grew their start-up company with the help of fellow students, faculty, administrators and alumni. He played on the university's NCAA Division I men's soccer team, which sparked the idea for the company's initial product for which a patent is pending,
After graduation - CEO, Ascent Sporting Innovations.
Collin Nji
A computer science major, Nji has had fascinating internships during his time at the Mount. The last internship in the summer of 2022 led to a job offer at American Express, where he now works as a software engineer after graduating in December 2022. Other internships included working as a data research analyst for the Center for Security and Emerging Technology and as a research fellow for the Data Science for Social Good Foundation headquartered in England. On campus, he served as an editor of Moorings journal and a member of the Honors and Fellows Programs, gave short talks in the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, worked on the university's website in the Marketing & Communications Office, played intramural volleyball and served as treasurer of the ultimate frisbee club team.
After graduation - Software engineer at American Express.
Devin Peart
Named co-recipient of the Rev. John J. O'Neill Memorial Prize for the member of the senior class who has attained outstanding achievement in political science studies, Peart, a political science major, was involved with the Maryland Student Legislature and played on the university's NCAA Division I men's golf team. The Career Center helped him obtain an internship with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, his most meaningful experience during his time at the Mount.
After graduation - Legislative research analyst, Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Julianna Roman
The recipient of the J. Daniel Larsen Memorial Prize for the distinguished study of the French and/or Latin languages, Roman is a triple major in philosophy, politics and economics, French and Spanish. In addition to academic pursuits through her involvement with national honor societies and the Honors Program, she was President of the French and Italian Clubs because of her passion for promoting and sharing these languages and the cultures attached to them. She also was an alternate for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Israel.
After graduation - English teaching assistant in Orléans-Tours, France through TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program in France).
Lynne Schumacher
Schumacher, C'21, is among the first 12 graduates of the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis program. She is one of three ABA graduates who achieved a cumulative GPA of 4.0. Earlier this year she joined two peers in presenting research at the annual Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis conference, where she won the award for best research poster. While in graduate school, she worked part-time as a registered behavior technician.
Tayla Stewart
Stewart, an elementary education major with dual certification in special education, is the recipient of the Dr. Judy Ramoy Johnstone Endowed Prize, awarded to a senior teacher candidate who embodies the qualities of leadership, initiative, creative thinking, respect for others and love of literacy as well as demonstrated excellence in teaching and service to the university, school and home communities. She was very active on campus as a member of the cheerleading team, an admissions tour guide, a resident assistant and vice president of the education club. Stewart also received the Class of 2013 Leadership Award, presented to a senior who exemplifies faith, discovery, leadership and community.
After graduation - Elementary school special education teacher.
Johnathan Tran
The recipient of the Dominic Greco Award for a pre-medical student who has been a credit to the university, Tran, a biology major, has served as a supplemental instructor and peer tutor for courses ranging from genetics to organic chemistry to anatomy and physiology. "This teaching experience allowed me to further my own understanding of each subject by finding different ways to explain every topic from first principles," he said.
After graduation - Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program.
Abigail Zeigenfuse
Majoring in neuroscience and health sciences pre-nursing, Zeigenfuse received the Excellence in Neuroscience Award. She enjoyed pushing herself not just academically but also athletically as a member of the NCAA Division I women's lacrosse team. Her most meaningful experience was her many research projects, where she found "a love of learning and finding new results."
After graduation - Queens University of Charlotte nursing program.
Six cadets from the Mount’s Class of 2023 will be commissioned. They are Ucheyah Aguoru, Michael Guzman, John Otoo, John Ruedisueli, Andrew Sobocinski and Nicholas Vincente. Andrew Sobocinski received the Lancer Award for outstanding performance and exemplary leadership in the Mount St. Mary's University U.S. Army ROTC program.