Tie a Knot and Hold On:
Virtual Commencement
On the evening of August 7, 2020, ACM experienced a first in its
almost 60-year history: a livestreamed commencement ceremony.
Featuring both live proceedings and prerecorded segments, the
ceremony honored 327 spring and summer graduates from seven states
and the District of Columbia who demonstrated incredible persistence and
achievement in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two student speakers with exemplary GPAs and compelling stories
were selected as representatives of the spring and summer graduating
classes: Carol Lusk, a General Studies and Education - Secondary Area
of Concentration graduate from Schellsburg, Pennsylvania, and Khushmani
Singh, a Dental Hygiene graduate from Leesburg, Virginia.
Lusk is currently enrolled as a Fine Arts major at Frostburg State University
with plans to become an art teacher, and Singh is employed as a dental
hygienist at a practice in Northern Virginia. Both nontraditional students,
Lusk and Singh reflected on what it means to persevere in light of challenging circumstances.
Unable to print both speeches due to space constraints, we’ve chosen to
share Singh’s speech below. We highly encourage you to view both speeches,
which are part of our full virtual commencement ceremony, on the college’s
YouTube channel.
Fall 2020 \ ACCESS ACM 6
Good evening family, friends,
faculty, and 2020 graduates! I am
honored to be speaking to you all
today and I am so proud to be a
part of the 2020 graduating class.
I would like to start with a quote
by Theodore Roosevelt, “When
you’re at the end of your rope, tie
a knot and hold on.”
Two years ago, I got accepted
into Allegany College of Maryland.
I was so excited to start my journey
here. My rope seemed as though
it was never-ending. Before moving
to Maryland and starting classes,
I dreamed of what the next two
years had in store for me. I thought
a lot about graduation day and even
started to plan it out. I could see
it all…
On graduation day, my name
would be called, I would walk
across the stage, greet my faculty,
receive my diploma, and search the
crowd for the cheers of my family
and friends. After the ceremony,
I would take tons of pictures with
my family, my friends, and most
importantly, my classmates.
Unfortunately, graduation looks
different for us this year. In the past
five months, there have been times
where I felt like I was at the end of
my rope, as I am sure many of you
felt as well.
There were times of great
sadness, uncertainty, and
frustration. But we tied a knot and
held on. We put in time, effort,
energy, and most importantly we
stayed motivated. When our daily
lives were flipped upside down, we
adapted. We changed our learning
styles, our learning environments,
we stayed resilient. We showed
that with great strength and
determination we could overcome
these obstacles. And with the help
of faculty and administration, we
made it here today – to our 2020
Graduation Ceremony.
Graduating Class of 2020, we
should all be incredibly proud of
ourselves. In these past two years,
we have gained so many qualities,
traits, skills, and experiences that
make us role models and leaders
in our communities. I hope that
each and every one of you realize
that you have within you the tools
to go out there and make the world
a better place.
So I hope that everyone at
home today celebrates this huge
achievement. Whether you are
at home surrounded by family and
friends, or you are sitting in front of
your laptop in your pajamas pants
like me, I hope that you never
forget all that you achieved during
your time here at Allegany College
of Maryland.
The future will always hold
uncertainty, but do not stop
dreaming. As we step into the real
world, get excited about your next
journey. It’s officially time to let
go of this old rope and grab onto
a new one. And if you ever feel
that you are at the end of your rope
again, remember our graduating
class. Remember this time. Tie that
knot and hold on. I know you can
do it.
Congratulations, graduating class
of 2020!
achievement Whether you are