During Wor-Wic Community College commencement ceremonies at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center in Salisbury, Aruna K. Miller, Maryland lieutenant governor, encouraged graduates to make a difference in the community.
Noting that nearly 90 percent of graduates stay in the region, she said, “They build their careers here, they raise their families here and they give back. Graduates, tonight you join that legacy, wherever your path may be.
“The farms that feed this region, the hotels and restaurants that welcome millions of visitors every single year, the hospitals caring for our aging population, the homes that need skilled hands and TLC to maintain them, the classrooms waiting for our next generation of educators. This is not a list of jobs — this is your community, and it’s waiting for you.”
After Miller’s address, Deborah Casey, Ph.D., president of Wor-Wic, presented her with a plaque on behalf of the college’s 2026 graduating class. Casey also spoke to graduates, recognizing their accomplishments and telling them, “Today, you stand at the intersection of history and of possibility. Your journey proves what happens when hard work meets opportunity, and when a community college opens its doors and says, ‘You belong here.’”
Anna G. Newton, vice chairperson of Wor-Wic’s board of trustees, introduced the commencement speaker, members of the board of trustees and other guests on stage. Dr. Michael Hutmaker, vice president for student affairs, introduced the student speaker, Bonnie Jones of Delmar, Md. Jones earned her associate degree in general studies.
Jones said many people had helped her along her path to graduation, including her family and her professors. “I have the teachers at Wor-Wic who showed me grace when I struggled to keep up. Their willingness to come early or stay late or help via Zoom, and feeling truly seen as a student, gave me a reassurance I didn’t think I deserved. I’m grateful for all of them,” she said. “The will that it took to pick myself up after so many times of being knocked down is textbook cliché, but it’s also the truth. We don’t have to have it figured out by 18. Or 28. But deciding now, at 37 years old, that I deserved to finish, is so much more than worth it.”
Casey presented the 2026-2027 President’s Student Excellence Award, sponsored by the Wor-Wic Community College Foundation, to Braiden Alexander of Delmar, Md., who graduated with an associate of science in STEM. Other nominees were Gyvven Garrison-Wright of Salisbury, who graduated with an associate of arts in general studies; Torre’ Allen Phillips of Pittsville, who graduated with an associate of arts in business; and Zikang Wei of Delmar, Md., who graduated with an associate of science in STEM engineering.
The 2026-2027 President’s Distinguished Faculty Award, sponsored by the Wor-Wic Community College Foundation, was presented to Dr. David Mongor-Lizarrabengoa, associate professor of Spanish, and Melissa Reddish, associate professor of English.
The 501 graduates ranged in age from 18 to 77. Nursing was the most popular major among members of the graduating class, with 153 students earning degrees or certificates. It was followed by general studies with 97 and criminal justice with 92.
The majority of the graduates were from Salisbury or other parts of Wicomico County, followed by Worcester and then Somerset counties. Graduates were also from Dorchester, Caroline, Talbot and other counties in Maryland, as well as from nearby states.
