CUMBERLAND, Md. — A Rowlesburg native is one of two Allegany College of Maryland graduates who will provide student commencement addresses at the college’s Dec. 16 fall graduation ceremonies.
Kelly Shiflett of Swanton, Md., and Grace Yeboah of Dumfries, Va., will provide the addresses. Both earned their degrees online.
Shiflett, who currently holds a 4.0 GPA, graduates with an Associate of Applied Science degree in computer technology in the area of concentration programming.
The second oldest of eight children, she is the first in her family to graduate from college. Originally from Rowlesburg, Shiflett is a 2016 graduate of Preston High School. She was the quintessential kid who liked to read instruction manuals, later receiving a full ride to a university to study aerospace and mechanical engineering.
At 19, after completing her first year of college, Shiflett was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She left college to undergo treatment, but the experience left her with uncertainty about her college dreams.
Two long years later, she found herself problem-solving professionally as the leader of product information for Webrestaurant and loved the work. While living in Cumberland, she decided to enroll in computer technology at ACM and transferred in earned credit.
Being able to take flex courses made it possible for her to work while earning her degree. She credits assistant professor Richard Soderman for encouraging her throughout her studies at ACM.
“I could Zoom [contact] him any time when I was stuck,” said Shiflett. “He said he was here to help, and he meant it.”
Shiflett is currently a network and computer systems apprentice at IBM and will finish her apprenticeship in April.
One hundred seventy-seven Allegany College of Maryland students are expected to earn degrees and certificates during the fall commencement exercises.
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