News Release: ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE: Cheers to the PGCPS Class of 2019!

May 22, 2019
For Immediate Release

CONTACT:
Office of Communications
301-952-6001
communications@pgcps.org

UPPER MARLBORO, MD —Graduation ceremonies will begin Thursday for the Class of 2019 in Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS).

Graduates from 32 schools will celebrate their achievements over the next two weeks, starting tomorrow with Academy of Health Sciences (AHS) at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC), the school system’s highest-performing high school. AHS will hold its graduation ceremony at 10:30 a.m. for students who will receive both a high school diploma and associate’s degree on the same day.

“Excellence is our standard for every student, from the first day of school to graduation day,” said Dr. Monica Goldson, Interim Chief Executive Officer. “We proudly celebrate our young achievers for earning their success and our admiration through perseverance and academic excellence.”

This is a year of “firsts” for many innovative high school programs. The first-ever graduating classes will walk across the stage at the two International High Schools, which serve immigrant students with limited English proficiency, and College Park Academy, a charter middle and high school. The first cohort of 3D Scholars, a dual enrollment partnership with PGCC and University of Maryland University College, will send its graduates along the road to an affordable college degree.

In addition, Gwynn Park High School AP Computer Science students will join others nationwide as the first graduates of the Amazon Future Engineer program.

Among this year’s outstanding scholars:

• Bowie High School twins Alexis Esuke and Mikaila Esuke share looks, the same GPA and the honor of serving as co-valedictorians.
• Amanya Paige will graduate as Parkdale High School’s valedictorian and the first woman to serve two consecutive terms as the Student Member of the Board of Education.
• Surrattsville High School salutatorian Phillipp Sawyers-Yurchenko speaks fluent Russian and has earned enough dual enrollment credits to skip his first year of college.
• Nyree Walden did not allow personal struggles to keep him from becoming the top student at Croom High School.

For more student success stories, photo galleries and a list of upcoming ceremony dates, visit the all-things-graduation hub Future Ready.

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