23-05-2025
FCC grads grateful for support systems, proud of their achievements
Ines Agopome said she is proof that with persistence, faith and the right support systems, people can break through barriers and generational curses they didn't think they could ever overcome.
Agopome was one of two student speakers at Frederick Community College's commencement ceremony Thursday evening at Knott Arena in Emmitsburg.
She received an associate degree in social sciences with a concentration in psychology. She plans to continue pursuing a bachelor's degree in counseling psychology at the University of Baltimore with a full scholarship.
Agopome's parents are immigrants from Togo, a country in Africa. As she faced the crowd of hundreds at the arena, she told everyone important lessons she and her sister learned from her parents.
One was that hard work and perseverance are not just tools, but survival skills. Another lesson was that no matter where people come from, the knowledge they carry can't be taken away from them.
Before coming to FCC, Agopome was a student at Montgomery College.
In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Agopome gave birth to her daughter. She realized that to give her daughter everything she wanted, Agopome needed to reflect and look at what she personally wanted, too.
She realized she was pursuing the wrong major and was not at the best school for her, so with the help of her family and friends, she found FCC.
Agopome said her daughter is the main reason she could complete her associate degree and continues to have purpose in her actions and life.
She thanked her own family and support systems during her speech, tearing up at the mention of her daughter. She told the arena to raise their imaginary glasses, cellphones or whatever else they preferred to cheer the class of 2025.
"The world is already yours, you're capable of so much more than you know, and the knowledge you've gained here will never be taken away," Agopome said.
FCC's class of 2025 has 915 graduating students, and about a quarter of the class consists of first-generation college graduates.
The vast majority of the class — 90% — received associate degrees, while the rest of the graduates received certificates of accomplishment.
As the graduates processed into the arena wearing their green robes, audience members cheered loudly and waved excitedly down at the graduates they came to support.
Giulietta Jafari was the other student speaker for the ceremony, alongside Agopome. She also made it a point to thank her parents for the sacrifices they made, so Jafari could pursue her education.
Jafari received associate degrees in English and paralegal studies. She will attend the University of Maryland in the fall to study philosophy and linguistics, according to a Facebook post from FCC announcing the 2025 commencement student speakers.
Jafari said her father is Persian and fled to Iran to escape religious persecution. Her mother was 16 years old and alone, and had little money to support herself.
While her parents' biggest concerns were survival, Jafari said, her biggest concerns were unplugging the family's Wii gaming console fast enough before her sister could beat her in the video game Mario Kart.
Jafari said her dad would tell her to never give up and never surrender whenever she faced an obstacle. She keeps that sentiment in mind to this day.
"I'll always be grateful for [my parents], for the opportunity and sacrifices that they made, so that I could graduate on this day with all of you today, so that I could attend university without denying who I am, so that I could grow into the best version of myself and seize every opportunity that comes my way," she said.
FCC President Annesa Payne Cheek spoke about the diverse range of backgrounds in the graduating class.
She said the class ages ranged from 18 to 68. Some people might have gone to FCC right after graduating high school, while others might have returned to school after years away.
Cheek told the class to also remember the people who believed in them when the students didn't believe in themselves.
She gave the graduates some words she said she would've needed to hear when she was graduating from college herself: "I belong," "I earned this" and "I'm ready."
Jacques Mbengang said he feels accomplished now that he's graduated.
He received an associate degree in STEM technology with a concentration in cybersecurity, as well as certificates of accomplishment in computer studies and information security and assurance.
Mbengang began attending FCC right after he graduated from high school. He got his first job in information technology at Meritus Medical Center last month and will continue working there after graduation.
He said his professors were hands-on and "really took care" of him in and out of the classroom. His father died while he attended FCC, and the college's staff helped him get through that hard period to get his degree.
"In my culture, education is really important, and I believe that knowledge is very important," he said. "Being able to acquire it and finish it to the end, even when I could've gave up multiple times, the fact that I was able to keep moving was something that I really take pride in."
