Maryland Celebrates Spring Commencement

College Park, Md. -- The University of Maryland recognized more than 7,000 graduates today at the 2011 spring commencement ceremony. This year's featured speaker was DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and a prominent Washington D.C. attorney for more than 20 years. During his remarks, Smith reflected on his experiences working with the league and players of the NFL, and inspirations in his life, and conveyed his hopes for the 2011 graduating class.

	DeMaurice Smith

"My hope is that you embrace the passion of today to pursue that which is noble and realize that this will sustain you for the brightest and most challenging paths of your life," said Smith. "Choosing to care enough will always mean that you will have to strive harder and demand more of yourself. It will not be easy and it should not be. But both the pursuit and the struggle are exactly that which anoints your cause as noble."

"If you are fortunate enough in your lives to witness firsthand the unbridled passion of love for anything, you have an obligation to emulate it and carry it forward to achieve that which is noble for you and the world. Finally, on what I hope are those rare days when your confidence is shaken, as you battle with forces that fear the unknown, or worse yet, there are those who tell you that you cannot win, reach into the passion you know, loved and lived as a student here," Smith concluded.

Presiding over his second commencement ceremony since being named University of Maryland President in 2010, Wallace D. Loh welcomed the thousands of graduates, faculty, staff, family and friends in attendance. Before authorizing the granting of degrees, Loh acknowledged the many people who share in the accomplishments of the graduating class. Quoting the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, "None of us got to where we are solely by pulling themselves up by our boot straps," he recognized the parents, relatives, friends, spouses and countless others who provided love, support and encouragement. "We are very, very proud of you. But talented and dedicated as you are, I know that you are not alone in your accomplishments. Somebody bent down and helped pick up your boots," said Loh.

Graduating senior Dylan Rebois was awarded the University Medal, the highest honor the University bestows on one graduate each year. This award is given to the graduate who best exemplifies academic distinction, extraordinary character and extracurricular contributions to the University or community. Rebois, an honors student with a 4.0 GPA, has made extraordinary accomplishments in all aspects of his undergraduate experience at Maryland, including academics, leadership and civic engagement.

A mechanical engineering major in the A. James Clark School of Engineering, Rebois was an active member of Engineers Without Borders since his freshman year, serving most recently as the chapter president. Beyond Maryland's campus, Rebois has received significant recognition for his activism, academic success, and accomplishments. He is the recipient of Truman and Udall scholarships and through a Marshall Scholarship, Rebois will pursue master's degrees in Sustainable Energy Futures and Engineering for Sustainable Development in the United Kingdom.

One of Maryland's commencement traditions is the selection of one outstanding graduate who delivers remarks on behalf of the graduating class. This year's student speaker was Jon Katzur. A mathematics and economics double major with a minor in computer science, Katzur asked graduates to remember the best aspects of college and make the years to come even better. 

"Remember the first time you aced a test, the all-nighters, the late night talks, and the roommates who became your best friends. Remember those people. You know who I am talking about," said Katzur. "Our time here was amazing. It was the best years of our lives. ..but only so far. Because if you truly focus on what you love, the next four years can be even better! And the four years after that can be even better!"

Gary Williams

A last minute addition to the Commencement platform was recently retired head basketball coach and alum Gary Williams. Through Facebook, hundreds of students petitioned to have Williams deliver farewell and congratulatory remarks to the graduating class. He graciously accepted -- and near the end of the ceremony, reminisced about his own graduation from the University of Maryland in 1968, and offered his own words of wisdom for the class. "If I could tell you one thing -- I think it's really important to have passion for what you do. In other words, find something that you really like...it doesn't become a job all the time. It becomes something that you want to do," said Williams.

The 7,475 degrees conferred included: 5,545 bachelors, 1,487 masters, and 443 doctoral degrees. This year, the most popular undergraduate majors were criminal justice and criminology, economics, accounting, psychology, and government/politics. Business and management, education-curriculum and instruction, library information science, executive public management, and public policy were the most popular majors among students graduating with a master's degree. And among doctoral degrees, research scholar-electrical engineering, music, physics, veterinary medicine, mechanical engineering and computer science were most popular.

11109