A Time of Excitement, Reflection for Graduates
May 24, 2023
Excitement abounded May 18 as the graduates of the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Class of 2023 celebrated their many accomplishments with family and friends, though it was also a time for reflection on how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their early studies and bonded them with their classmates.
Students who gathered outside Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County were elated to be able to attend UMB’s commencement, the second in-person ceremony since the pandemic started in 2020.
“COVID in general just changed a lot of things. It changed how the schools operate, and then also with the clinical setting how we approach medicine,” said Chelsea Howell, DNP ’23, who earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “To be able to celebrate with everybody is amazing because virtual graduations aren’t the same. And it’s nice to just be able to see everybody.”