LA PLATA, Md. — The College of Southern Maryland Foundation has received the largest single donation in its history, establishing the Lorraine Diana ’79 and Robert Guite Pathways to Possibility Fund to remove financial obstacles that prevent students from completing degrees and workforce credentials.
Lorraine Diana, a 1979 CSM nursing graduate, and her husband, Robert Guite, made the transformative gift to expand both traditional scholarships and emergency aid for essentials including food, transportation, housing, childcare, nursing clinical supplies, and trade-program tools.
“For some students, it’s not just the cost of classes that holds them back from pursuing higher education and a brighter future. We want to create a pathway for them to see that a degree or trade certificate is a feasible goal,” Diana and Guite said in a joint statement. “When a student’s basic needs are met, they can focus on their education and achieving the kind of economic prosperity which transcends generations. We are excited to see the positive impact this Fund will have on the next generation of Hawks.”
The couple directed support toward five priority areas:
- Environmental, Social, and Economic Sustainability
- Commitment to the Arts
- Engineering Pathways and Robotics
- Nursing
- General Scholarships
In recognition of the gift, CSM will rename the Learning Resource Center on the La Plata Campus as the Lorraine Diana ’79 and Robert Guite Learning Center. The atrium of the Center for Health Sciences on the Regional Hughesville Campus will become the Lorraine Diana ’79 and Robert Guite Atrium. A formal naming ceremony for the La Plata building is scheduled for May 2026, with details to be announced.
Diana, who began her nursing career after earning an Associate of Arts in Nursing from CSM in 1979, later pursued advanced degrees and worked for decades in Southern Maryland health care. Guite launched his engineering career after attending Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. Both credit community colleges with opening doors they might otherwise never have walked through.
“Higher education can be a difficult road for families to navigate. We experienced firsthand how community colleges can be a bridge to make that journey possible,” the couple said. “We need skilled workers serving our community. We want to make sure these individuals are supported, can take pride in their community, and feel motivated to stay in Southern Maryland and be a part of its economic growth.”
CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson called the donation a full-circle moment.
“We are so thankful for their generosity and their commitment to this community. This fund is going to make a tremendous impact, making it possible for more students to take that step towards higher education, and pursue their dream of a new career,” Wilson said. “It’s truly a full-circle moment for this gift to come from our own alumna, who has supported Southern Maryland for four decades through a successful nursing career and is now paving the way for other students to do the same.”
CSM Foundation Executive Director Susan Mudd Vogel described the gift as historic.
“This is a historic gift that will transform students’ educational experience and their opportunity for a brighter future,” Vogel said. “This fund is an incredible investment in our college, in our students, and our region. It has the power to inspire a new generation of CSM graduates who are empowered to invest in themselves.”
Over the past decade, the CSM Foundation has raised $12 million and awarded $9.7 million in scholarships and program support. The new Pathways to Possibility Fund significantly expands the foundation’s capacity to address non-tuition barriers that national studies show cause up to 40 percent of community college students to stop out or drop out.
The College of Southern Maryland serves more than 20,000 credit and non-credit students annually across campuses in La Plata, Leonardtown, Prince Frederick, and the Regional Hughesville Campus. CSM offers more than 100 programs of study, including transfer degrees, nursing and allied health, skilled trades, engineering technology, and robotics.
Donations to the CSM Foundation are administered separately from state and county operating funds and directly benefit students and academic programs.
