Graduates

Graduating students should ignore partisanship and conventional wisdom in favor of asking tough questions about the issues facing the world, said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in remarks Thursday morning at the Johns Hopkins University's commencement. "No ideology has God on its side or a choir of angels at its feet," Bloomberg said, alluding to the state of political discourse in Washington. "Your professors have never trained you to follow the crowd. … Never trust anyone who reflexively shoots down an idea because it comes from a different party or ideology."

As thousands of students turn their tassels at college commencement ceremonies across Maryland this month, a spotlight is being placed on the critical connection between college success and future economic prosperity. It's one of the most important issues facing Baltimore, and the statistics paint a challenging picture. Baltimore is a great American city, and there is momentum to applaud on several fronts. But the harsh reality is that the city's economy will almost certainly falter in the years ahead without an influx of considerably more college graduates.

Army Spec. Tom Davidov graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. Davidov is the son of Valentyna Davydova, of Reisterstown, and a 2006 graduate of Franklin High School.

Airman Michael A. Heslin graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Heslin is the son of Karen Ryan and Robert Heslin, both of Fallston. He is a 2011 graduate of Fallston High School.

Thank you for putting in all the graduation and senior announcements in this past week's newspaper. I was so happy to see my niece's name in the paper. As a mother of a drama student, I couldn't help but notice your picture of Jordan Andre. Wow. This kid has a stellar voice. After talking with his mother, I found out he will be attending the University of Michigan's musical theater program. One of the toughest in the nation. They have a one percent acceptance rate. Erika Whittaker Columbia

Stephanie Cheuvront recently graduated from Butler University, in Indianapolis, Ind., with a Bachelor of Arts with high honors in history and classical studies, and a minor in religious studies. She was recognized among the top 100 students at the school and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the academic honor society. The daughter of Catonsville residents Steve and Bea Cheuvront, Cheuvront has been accepted into a master's program in museum studies at George Washington University.

Dr. Christy Anna Hipsley, of Berlin, Germany, daughter of Bruce and Shelly Hipsley of Bel Air, and granddaughter of Stephen and Helen Saradin, received her doctorate degree in biology on Aug. 16 from the University of California and has accepted a post-doctorate position with the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany. Hipsley received her master's degree from Lund University in Sweden, her bachelor's degree from N.C. State and is a 1995 graduate of Bel Air High School.

On Wednesday, Marta Mossburg wrote that despite its No. 1 status in education, Maryland still graduates students who are lacking in basic skills and who cannot perform in college without remediation ("Maryland's uneducated graduates" May 11). Maryland is not alone in this. My home state of New York also suffers from a similar problem of increasing test scores, but more and more students attending remedial courses in college. Ms. Mossburg claims that 10 years ago the situation was a lot better.

Grace Colleen Richardson-Knopp, an AFCPE-certified (Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education) budgetary advisor at Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union, was recognized June 13 as a graduate of the 2012 Harford Leadership Academy at an awards banquet. The challenging, 13-week program included on-the-job assignments, coursework and independent study accounting for more than 90 hours of instruction. It provides future leaders the opportunity to learn from today's leaders in Harford County governments, businesses and public safety.