Campus News
May 20th, 2025
Class of 2025 twice as nice for three students
Yoder, SanJulian, Bolden finish GC and high school this year
Three students – Maria SanJulian, Amelia Bolden, and Caleb Yoder – graduate both Garrett College and high school in 2025. Pictured, left to right, are GC Chief Academic Officer Professor Christa Bowser, SanJulian, Bolden, Yoder, and Garrett College President Dr. Richard Midcap.
"Class of 2025" has multiple meanings for three of this year's Garrett College graduates.
Southern Garrett High seniors Maria SanJulian and Amelia Bolden, along with homeschooled Caleb Yoder, all earned college credentials at Saturday's commencement. The trio will all be headed to four-year institutions in the fall, with San Julian and Bolden both set to attend West Virginia University.
SanJulian said her goal of attending WVU played a role in her pursuit of an associate's degree.
"I wanted to go to WVU and I knew if I finished my associate's degree I could get in-state tuition if I was in a degree program that FSU [Frostburg State University] did not have," said SanJulian, who plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology and hopes to eventually earn a master's degree in occupational therapy.
SanJulian said she took most of her college courses online as well as taking a few in-person courses from GC faculty who taught from Southern Garrett's campus.
"Overall, it was a really good experience," SanJulian said of her time at Garrett College.
Bolden also said the advantages of completing an associate's degree and qualifying for the Garrett College/West Virginia Reciprocity Tuition Agreement played a key role in her decision to fast-track a GC degree.
"It also allowed me to get a lot of classes out of the way for the upcoming years," said Bolden, who will be seeking a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
"My experience at Garrett College has been nothing but amazing," said Bolden, who will be a member of WVU's Honors College. "I have learned so much, and every one of my professors has cared very much about my success."
Bolden said spring was her favorite semester.
"I decided to take on-campus classes instead of just online," she said. "This gave me the ability to have a sense of community, attending athletic events and socials such as pancake night, blessing me with friendships and memories that will last a lifetime."
Yoder, who plans to attend Rosedale Bible College while majoring in Biblical studies, earned a certificate in cyber security from GC.
"Eventually I'd like to use the [cyber] certification to get a job in that field," said Yoder, whose sister, Aiyana, also graduated from Garrett Saturday while sharing awards for Highest-Grade Point Average and Female Scholar Athlete of the Year.
"She [Aiyana] definitely helped me, especially with learning the student portal and Blackboard [learning management system]," said Caleb, whose sister began at GC a year earlier. "The first class I took, she and I took it together, which was nice."
