SOUTHERN MARYLAND, June 17, 2025 — College students from Southern Maryland distinguished themselves in the spring 2025 semester, earning dean’s list and president’s list honors, as well as degrees, at institutions including McDaniel College, Shenandoah University, the University of Alabama, Frostburg State University, and others. These achievements highlight the academic prowess of students from Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties across diverse fields such as business administration, biochemistry, and aerospace engineering.
McDaniel College recognized 15 Southern Maryland students on its spring 2025 dean’s list for full-time undergraduates with exceptional academic performance. Students earning highest honors, requiring a semester GPA of 3.90 or higher, included Syvarren Burgess of Lexington Park, Madeline Imholtz of Waldorf, Ashley Shawyer of Huntingtown, Matthew Fialkowski of La Plata, Claire Hamilton of Waldorf, and Jayla Ring of Waldorf. High honors, for a GPA of 3.70 to 3.89, went to Aaliyah Winford of White Plains, Aaliyah Williams of La Plata, and Katie Brill of Waldorf. Honors, for a GPA of 3.50 to 3.69, were awarded to Chris Wright of Waldorf, Delaney O’Conner of Owings, Christina Taylor of Waldorf, Ryleigh Goss of Lusby, Jalen Harmon of Prince Frederick, and Kyle Swann of White Plains.
Shenandoah University named three Southern Maryland students to its spring 2025 president’s list, requiring a GPA of 3.90 or higher for full-time baccalaureate students: Isabella Graves of California, Aidan Murray of Sunderland, and Luca Sabatino of La Plata. These students, along with Matthew Buckler of La Plata, Corbin Cooke of Waldorf, Cody Daniels of St. Leonard, Amanda Hill of Mechanicsville, Cole Hopkins of Huntingtown, Emily Ransom of Prince Frederick, and Jessica Rosnage of St. Leonard, also earned spots on the dean’s list, which requires a GPA of 3.50 or higher.
The University of Alabama honored 20 Southern Maryland students in spring 2025. Braelinn McDonough of Newburg, a La Plata High School student enrolled in UA Early College, made the director’s list with a GPA of 3.6 or higher through the program allowing high school students to earn college credits. The university’s president’s list, requiring a 4.0 GPA, included Jonah Chaillou of Callaway, Logan Barger of Huntingtown, William Alcorn of La Plata, Jackson Urtz of Leonardtown, Holland Henderson-Boyer of Lexington Park, Andrew Crigler of Owings, Natalie Adams of Solomons, and Ava Balderson of Sunderland. The dean’s list, for a GPA of 3.5 or higher, recognized Elizabeth Reardon of California, Ian Jameson of Hollywood, Laney Bennett of Huntingtown, Lawson Vieley of Huntingtown, Chloe Guerre of Leonardtown, Nolan Kostenko of Leonardtown, Alexandra Hepstall of Mechanicsville, Alexa Caronello of Owings, Katherine St. Clair of Owings, Rebecca Means of Owings, and Diamond Gordon of Waldorf.
Frostburg State University’s 166th commencement ceremony in May celebrated 607 degree candidates, including 27 Southern Maryland residents: Mackenzie Alonso of Prince Frederick, Tristen Clark of Waldorf, Natalie Crawford of Chesapeake Beach, Jocelyn Finnecy of Lexington Park, Nicole Fullmer of Owings, Dylan Gray of Hollywood, Nicole Gray of Prince Frederick, Lawrence Guy of Clements, Becca Hall of Lusby, Kristen Hall of Bryans Road, Gavin Hill of Owings, Olivia Jones of La Plata, Victoria Michael of Bryans Road, Jacob Miller of Hughesville, Taylor Mosterd of Mechanicsville, Portia Poku of White Plains, Jordyn Roberts-Talbott of Chesapeake Beach, Gavin Russell of California, Hope Smart of Waldorf, Cristina Sommerkamp of Mechanicsville, George Walls of Leonardtown, Natalie Williams of North Beach, Adriana Wimmer of Dunkirk, Kayla Windsor of Newburg, Maya Moten of Bryans Road, Joshua Senior of Waldorf, and Ciara Thomas of Mechanicsville. Additionally, 55 local students were named to Frostburg’s spring 2025 dean’s list for a GPA of 3.4 or higher, including Kiera Dodson of La Plata, Lydia Eccleston of Mechanicsville, Jason Haley of La Plata, Ty Kashporenko of Owings, Jolyn Lloyd of Hollywood, Abigail McCauley of Leonardtown, April McGrath of Waldorf, and Blake Varela of Mechanicsville.
The College of Charleston awarded degrees to three Southern Maryland students at its spring 2025 commencement: Kathleen Carrino of Huntingtown (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration), Lindsay Daczkowski of Leonardtown (Bachelor of Arts in Psychology), and Banks Wills of Leonardtown (Bachelor of Arts in Communication). Five local students made the president’s list (3.800 GPA or higher): Carrino, Darrah Clime of Huntingtown (Classics and English), Marcus Jones of Huntingtown (Geology), Isabella Cocimano of Morganza (Commercial Real Estate Finance), and Karlee Hughes of Prince Frederick (Exercise Science). The dean’s list (3.500 GPA or higher) included Kaylee Garrido of La Plata (Marketing), Isabella Dever of Leonardtown (Hospitality/Tourism Management), Jasmine Perez of Leonardtown (Urban Studies), and Regan Keller of Owings (Biology).
Bridgewater College named four Southern Maryland students to its spring 2025 dean’s list, requiring a GPA of 3.4 or higher: Liz D’Aurora (business administration, Leonardtown), Erica Nelson (biochemistry, Lexington Park), Dani Fellner (environmental science and chemistry, Mechanicsville), and Kaila Pruitt (business administration, Owings). Middle Tennessee State University recognized Tyler Rochelle of Leonardtown on its spring 2025 dean’s list with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Miami University honored Maddie Erwin of California on its president’s list, reserved for the top 3% of undergraduates, and Grace Adeboyejo of Waldorf on its dean’s list, for the top 20% of undergraduates.
Commonwealth University named Christian Giovacchini of Charlotte Hall, Ervin Mitchell of Waldorf, and Emily Davis of Broomes Island to its spring 2025 dean’s list for a GPA of 3.50 or higher. Lebanon Valley College recognized Ginny Barbour of Abell, a history and political science major and Chopticon High School graduate, on its dean’s list with a GPA of 3.4 or higher. The University of Hartford named Temi Sosanya of La Plata, Ray Cain of Leonardtown, Lily Hunt of Chesapeake Beach, and Morgan Huntt of Leonardtown to both its dean’s list (3.0 GPA or higher) and president’s list (3.75 GPA or higher) for spring 2025.
These accomplishments reflect the dedication of Southern Maryland’s students, who are pursuing degrees at institutions known for academic rigor. For example, the University of Alabama, the state’s flagship university, offers over 200 degree programs and drives economic growth through research, as noted on its news website. Frostburg State University, located in Allegany County, serves as a cultural and educational hub for Western Maryland, supporting students like those from Southern Maryland in achieving their academic goals.
The range of majors represented—business administration, psychology, environmental science, and more—demonstrates the diverse talents of Southern Maryland students. Programs like UA Early College, which enabled Braelinn McDonough to earn college credits while in high school, highlight opportunities for early academic advancement. The consistent recognition across multiple institutions underscores the region’s commitment to fostering educational excellence, setting a strong foundation for these students’ future contributions to their communities and beyond.
