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LeTonya Butler is graduating from University of Maryland Global Campus with a master’s degree in leadership management specializing in criminal justice. But the journey wasn’t a straightforward one. En route to her degree, she had to beat cancer—not once, not twice, but three times.

Sonseeahray "Ray" Adams has just completed a master’s degree in health care administration from University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). The achievement comes nearly a decade after the first step in her journey to keep her promise to her mother.

At t ºÚÁÏÉçÇø’s December graduation ceremonies, at least two mother-son teams will receive diplomas on the same day. Carolyn Patton and her son, Immanuel, said that studying in tandem was a bonding experience. Cindy Velazquez-Chhim and her son, Enrique Pineda, agreed.

Kendsley Rodriguez paid a high price en route to his Bachelor of Business Administration with a certificate in human resource management, but it didn’t have anything to do with money. It was all about pain, which came in tandem with two urgent surgeries to address dangerous brain hemorrhages.

That Siera Woods is graduating with a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland Global Campus on Dec. 16 is nothing short of remarkable. To say she had a difficult upbringing is an understatement. She had her first child at age 12. She and her daughter were taken in by a foster care family before they arrived in Washington, D.C., in 2010 to live with relatives.

When Lucreatia Perry receives her bachelor's degree during Winter Grad Walk 2022 at UMG—with her four children, husband and other relatives cheering—she not only will have proof that she has overcome the odds, but she’ll be ready for a career aimed at justice.