The University of Mary Washington is graduating 1,201 students during its 99th commencement.
The university’s graduate school in Stafford County held its ceremony yesterday, and undergraduates will don their caps and gowns this morning at Ball Circle.
Here are some snapshots of some of UMW’s interesting graduates:
Asmar Shabazz, 39, Stafford County
HIS STORY: Asmar Shabazz feels lucky to be alive, let alone receive his master’s degree.
His father and an older brother were shot in separate incidents in his native Detroit. Another brother died from a congenital heart defect in 1990. And his mother passed away from cancer when he was just 13.
Less than a year ago, Shabazz endured another unthinkable tragedy. His 21-year-old son, Terrence Harris, was killed in an automobile accident.
Despite it all, Shabazz received his master’s degree in business administration last night from the University of Mary Washington’s graduate school in Stafford County.
He said he couldn’t have done it without his siblings, who raised him after his mother died.
"Everybody comes across some trials and tribulations, and you just have to find the strength within to keep going."
HIS QUOTE: "There’s always somebody out there that may have it just a little bit harder. And if they can get through it, then so can you."
WHAT’S NEXT? Shabazz, who is director of command and staff at the Washington Navy Yard, plans to finish a book about his life titled, "If I Could Fly Away." He’ll also spend time with his wife and two children and continue the North Stafford Wolverines Youth Football Association, which he founded in 2003.
David Dutton, 22, Bealeton
HIS STORY: David Dutton was born deaf, but he refuses to use his disability as an excuse.
At the University of Mary Washington, Dutton started an American Sign Language Club called "Talk to the Hand." He also successfully lobbied the administration to accept ASL credits earned at other schools as foreign language credits at UMW, which doesn’t currently offer sign language courses.
Outside of the classroom, his interests are varied. He plays the cello and maintains 20th-century pipe organs with his mentor, Jim Baird.
Recently, he became a certified locomotive engineer.
"I’ve always had a strong desire to go above and beyond."
HIS QUOTE: "A lot of my friends don’t see me as being deaf. But I think they admire me a lot because I’m deaf."
WHAT’S NEXT? Dutton, who is receiving his bachelor’s degree in historic preservation, says he plans to take about half a year off. He eventually hopes to attend graduate school and form a consulting firm specializing in steam-powered equipment, or "anything that contributes to the industrial heritage of America."
Sam Krieg, 22, Spotsylvania County
HIS STORY: During a trip to Guatemala, Sam Krieg said the locals jokingly called him Jesus Christ.
He’s 6-foot-4, has long hair and at the time had a shaggy beard.
He’s no Savior, but he has used his Spanish-speaking ability to help plenty of people over the years. In Guatemala, he and other University of Mary Washington students helped an orphanage for learning-disabled children move to another location.
He has also volunteered hours at Germanna Community College–where he received his associate’s degree–tutoring those who want to learn English.
Not to mention, he completed an independent study on poet Octavio Paz’s discontent with the goal of Surrealist philosophy.
HIS QUOTE: "I wanted to use Spanish not simply academically but also to help people."
WHAT’S NEXT? Krieg, who double majored in English and Spanish, will attend graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he will study Hispanic literature.
Michelle Chiles, 21, Reedville
HER STORY: During the week, Michelle Chiles has attended classes at the University of Mary Washington and worked as an accountant for her dad’s business.
On weekends, she’s going 180 miles per hour–literally.
Chiles, who graduates from UMW today with a degree in business administration, is the first woman to win a drag-racing competition in Petersburg.
Her 25-foot long car, a dragster, can reach 180 miles per hour in 7.25 seconds.
She’s competed in Virginia, Maryland, Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina since she started racing when she was 12.
From April through the beginning of November, she races just about every weekend. She’s also juggled her studies with the accounting job, which required 30 hours a week of her time.
Through it all, she maintained a 3.6 grade-point average at UMW.
HER QUOTE: "The guys don’t always like getting beat by the girls."
WHAT’S NEXT? Chiles plans to study for the CPA exam over the next six months and continue racing. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree in business administration at Georgetown University in the near future.