Maurice J. McDonough High School seniors graduated in a ceremony held June 1 at the Charles County Convocation Center in Waldorf. The ram senior class of 222 graduates earned nearly $9 million in scholarship offers. At McDonough, students know and understand the core meaning of the letters used to spell out the name of the school mascot, ram.
The R stands for respect; the A is for accountability and the M is for motivation. Class salutatorian Charlie Shin shared with his peers an important lesson about the letters RAM and what they should remember about their high school experiences.
“Here at McDonough we have an acronym that defines our core values. Whether it be college, the workforce, or the military, respect, accountability and motivation will take you in the right direction. We are rams committed to being respectful, accountable and motivated. And don’t you forget it,” Shin said.
Shin plans to attend the University of Maryland College Park in the fall to study computer science. Helping Shin to lead the McDonough Class of 2018 is Elizabeth Saoud, who is this year’s class valedictorian. She heads to Harvard University in the fall and will major in biology and pre-medicine.
In addressing her peers tonight, Saoud encouraged them to always be kind, but to most importantly always have hope.
“We can always have hope. Hope for a brighter future. Hope for support in times of crisis. The one true measure of success is the impact that you have on others, and the positivity that you bring to the world. If we take anything away from our past four years at McDonough High School, let it be this: Be kind. Help others. Have infinite hope,” Saoud said.
McDonough’s graduation ceremony was the fourth of seven high school ceremonies set to take place this weekend at the Convocation Center at North Point High School. Photos from all high school graduations will be posted on the school system website at http://www.ccboe.com/index.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 26,900 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 36 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.