Commencement

Somewhere the wild things are roaring their terrible roars and gnashing their terrible teeth and rolling their terrible eyes and showing their terrible claws. They're mourning their creator, children's book author Maurice Sendak, who stepped into his private boat on Tuesday and waved goodbye. The 83-year-old Sendak died Tuesday morning at a hospital in Connecticut, four days after suffering a stroke. "When I heard the news on the radio, it was just a punch in the gut," said Selma Levi, who supervises the children's department of the Central Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library . "I know he was older.

This year's Goucher College graduates will likely enjoy one of region's quirkier commencement speeches. The school announced that Ira Glass, host of public radio's "This American Life," will give the graduation keynote on May 18. He'll also be getting an honorary degree from the school. Glass is a Baltimore native. He grew up in Baltimore County and attended Milford Mill High. Goucher also points out that he's the grandson of Frieda Friedlander from Goucher's Class of 1931.

The Edgewood High School Hall of Fame's five 2012 inductees were announced earlier this week. Those joining the Hall of Fame include retired Army Maj. Gen. George H. Harmeyer (Class of 1961); retired FBI special agent Geoffrey A. Glover (Class of 1962); current Mountain Christian School Principal Nadine Haas Wellington (Class of 1972); former Navy nurse and current cancer patient advocate/Jazzercise franchisee Mary Porterfield Johnson (Class of 1975); and bank vice president and former EHS baseball star M. Scott Elliott (Class of 1983)

Nicole McAllister, a longtime Johns Hopkins Club waitress whose grit and determination to see that her daughter received a college education paid off earlier this year when she had the pleasure of seeing her daughter receive her bachelor's degree, died Dec. 16 of a stroke at Sinai Hospital. The Northwest Baltimore resident was 44. The daughter of a construction worker and a teacher's aide, Nicole McAllister was born in Baltimore and raised on Newton Avenue. After graduating from Walbrook High School in 1985, Ms. McAllister worked as a teller for almost a decade at the old Union Trust Co., later Signet Bank, until she was laid off from her job In 1994, she took a job as a waitress at the Johns Hopkins Club, which is on the university's Homewood campus, where she quickly built a loyal and dedicated following.

Congratulations to the Class of 2011at Notre Dame Preparatory School. The school hosted its traditional rose ceremony and commencement on May 25. The graduating students are: Regina Alongi-Huslig Kerry Anderson Lauren Anderson Nicole Arcodia Kaitlin Asbury Jessa Avancena Anne Bagliani Hannah Bailey Katherine Baird Amanda Barcelon Anna Bellantoni Caslin Berman Jessie Berman Eliza Bower ...

Congratulations to the Class of 2011 at Mount de Sales Academy. Mount de Sales' commencement was held May 28. Here is the list of graduates:   Kathleen Abdo Murielle Ahawo Amy Albrecht Caroline Arnold Gianna Baccala Sarah Bacon Rebecca Bastien Nina Bergbauer Samantha Bissally Allie Blair Anna Boehk Ali Brill Katherine Butrim Mary Cadigan Caroline Casey Theresa Cecil...

Congratulations to the Class of 2011 from Calvert Hall College HighSchool. The school hosted its commencement on June 4 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. The 2011 graduates are: Joseph Airey Carl Alejandro Adrian Amos Jr. Kyle Appelt Kevin Baron Michael Barron Luke Barsotti John Bartenfelter Martin Barthelme Jr. Connor Batley John Battinelli Andrew Batuure Michael Bell Craig Bennett Gregory Bennett John Bennett Jr. Kevin Beres John Berg Robert Berger Zachary Berkheimer Alexander Biser Taylor Blum Willie Booker III Eric Borkowicz Taylor Borkowicz Matthew Bosse Andrew Bowden Richard Bozel Scott Braase JustinBreidenstein Matthew Bressler Justin Brier Matthew Brock Zachary Brooks Nicolas Budosh Jason Patrick Bundy John Buttner III Tyler Cain Justin Caldwell William Cappuccio Michael Carmen Timothy Carney Daniel Carr Donald Carroll Jr. Joseph Carroll Justin Casey John Casparriello Richard Cavanaugh Sean Cavanaugh Joshua Cerino Edwin Chambers William Cole Jeffrey Cornelius Sean Creel Benjamin Curtis IV Jesse Date William Definbaugh Alexander Dennis Garrett Derbyshire Alexander DeRito Joseph DesNoyer IV Stephen Deveaney César Díaz Matthew Diehl ...

An article in the June 8, 1961, edition of the Herald Argus and Baltimore Countian recognized a record-breaking graduating class at a local high school. A all-time record high of 658 seniors will be graduated by Catonsville Senior High School in two commencements this coming Sunday, June 11, at 3 P.M. and 8 P.M. in the school auditorium. This will be the 57th annual graduation exercises for the school. Ernest E. Wooden , president of the county Board of Education, will present the diplomas and Taylor F. Johnston , principal of the school will announce the awards.

Vanessa Junkin, daughter of Valerie Junkin of Hampstead, and George Junkin of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., has received the Achievement Key Award at the 2011 Spring Honors Convocation at Salisbury University. The Achievement Key award is presented by the University Honors Convocation Committee, and is based on scholarship and campus service. Junkin is a senior majoring in communication arts. She is editor in chief of The Flyer student newspaper, and a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Lambda Eta Sigma and the Thomas E. Bellavance Honors Program.

Nicole McAllister can't keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks. This shy, industrious woman sits next to her daughter at the Johns Hopkins Club, where Nicole McAllister has worked as a waitress for 17 years. And her boss, general manager Cem Baraz, has come to praise her on this special occasion. "Nicole is one of those folks you feel good about," he begins. "She brings such a work ethic, and it has been part of our joy to see her daughter come around. " The tears come faster now. McAllister's daughter, Kearra Carter, is dabbing her eyes as well.