Ranging from ages 17 to 73, Frederick Community College graduates celebrate

May 20—The time Amanda Rice and her classmates spent at Frederick Community College was a bit rockier than they might have expected. As they learned firsthand, a pandemic can complicate matters.

But on Thursday afternoon, as the sun beat down on the courtyard outside the school's Student Center, Rice stood in the shade with a certificate in hand, a new best friend by her side and her 5-month-old baby boy sleeping nearby.

"I actually did the last several classes while pregnant," said Rice, who finished the community college's medical assistant program in October with her friend and classmate, Lori King. "I just didn't know it."

Rice and King were among hundreds of Frederick Community College students celebrating their graduation this week. In all, the Class of 2022 included 927 students, about 250 of whom attended a modified commencement ceremony Thursday afternoon. The college opted for a ceremony with staggered attendance out of caution over the spread of COVID-19.

Just like last year, the college assigned students and their families a time when they could walk across a small stage set up in the lobby of the Student Center and receive their diploma or certificate from Interim President Thomas Powell.

The large room swam with people Thursday afternoon, many of them dressed in bright green regalia. Parents of students in their 20s fussed with their children's hair and fixed their robes, while older students held their own children on their hips or pushed them in strollers.

The graduates ranged from 17 to 73 years old this year. King, 61, is twice as old as Rice, 30, but the two became fast friends when they took a phlebotomy course together.

"It's like there's no age discrepancy between us," King said. "We were just peers."

Rice nodded.

"She's 23 at heart and I'm an older person at heart," she said, making King laugh. "We equal each other out."

As Rice's 10-year-old daughter, Kandice Rice, balanced on the narrow slab of concrete circling a nearby tree, King recounted the events that inspired her to go back to school.

She took a break from her computer engineering job to help take care of her mom when she got sick. But when she returned to work, she discovered she was no longer satisfied with what she was doing.

So, she became a certified nursing assistant. And in 2019, she began pursuing a medical assistant certificate.

"You know, I thank my mom every day for leading me to this path," King said through tears. Beside her, Rice dabbed at her own eyes.

At 18, Adam MoeZaw was on the younger end of the graduating students. He graduated with high honors with an associate's degree concentrated in pre-health professions.

He and 14 other young people comprised the school's first class of early college graduates, a program that allows students to earn an associate's degree and a high school diploma simultaneously.

It's a busy time for MoeZaw, who plans to attend Frederick High School's commencement ceremony on Monday. In a few months, he'll be headed to Columbia University. Although he isn't certain what he wants to study quite yet, he's leaning toward a major in the health field.

"It definitely feels kind of surreal," MoeZaw said of graduating.

Outside the Student Center, Annshirley Anthonio-Mills laughed with her son, Prince Mills, and sisters Rebecca Sasu and Confort Lartey-Ofori.

Anthonio-Mills finished her culinary skills certificate program last fall, but returned to the community college for Thursday's ceremony.

Lartey-Ofori traveled all the way from Anthonio-Mills' native country of Ghana to watch her sister graduate. She brought handwoven, bright green stoles for her sister and her classmates to wear with their regalia.

"I was the oldest in the class," Anthonio-Mills, 58, said with a smile about the program she completed. "All of them are kids."

The road leading to Thursday's ceremony was a bumpy one for Anthonio-Mills.

She has a visual impairment that made it difficult for her to keep up with her schoolwork when class went online at the college. There were times when she almost quit, she said.

But on Monday, she received an award from her program, recognizing her for her determination and tenacity. Her son smiled as he recalled his mom's surprise upon hearing the announcement.

Now that Anthonio-Mills has her culinary skills certificate, she dreams of opening a restaurant in Frederick.

"I just want to give back to the community for what they have invested in me," she said. "They have invested in me so much. Especially FCC."

Follow Angela Roberts on Twitter: @24_angier