The Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Class of 2021 will be honored this week during outdoor graduation ceremonies set for May 28 and June 1-3 at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf. The Class of 2021 is the first graduating class to participate in outdoor graduation ceremonies at the stadium.
In prior years, seniors graduated in ceremonies planned for the Convocation Center at North Point High School. Due to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, CCPS was excited to offer an outdoor opportunity for graduating seniors this year.
The Class of 2021 includes 2,007 graduates who earned a record number of scholarship offers totaling nearly $158 million. The total is likely to increase as graduates report scholarship offers to their respective high schools. First in the CCPS high school graduation schedule is St. Charles High School at 9 a.m. on May 28.
The official schedule is as follows. All graduations will stream live at ccboe.com.
- Friday, May 28 – St. Charles High School, 9 a.m.
- Tuesday, June 1 – Westlake High School, 9 a.m.
- Tuesday, June 1 – Henry E. Lackey High School, 1 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 2 – Thomas Stone High School, 9 a.m.
- Wednesday, June 2 – La Plata High School, 1 p.m.
- Thursday, June 3 – Maurice J. McDonough High School, 9 a.m.
- Thursday, June 3 – North Point High School, 1 p.m.
Valedictorians and salutatorians of the Class of 2021 were announced this week and represent the top academic achievers among graduates at each school. These positions are determined by student grade-point averages.
Leading the Henry E. Lackey High School graduating Class of 2021 is Sahana Venkatesh as valedictorian. There was a three-way tie among seniors Brynna Bode, Tiana Clemons and Christina Walker for class salutatorian.
Venkatesh will attend the University of Maryland, College Park Honors College in the fall and plans to major in engineering. She is considering studying mechanical engineering. Venkatesh plans to celebrate her graduation this summer with a trip to Disney World. Bode heads to West Virginia University this fall and also plans to major in engineering. She is interested in learning about patent law and plans to work with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office this summer.
Clemons will attend Duke University to major in computer science. She is considering minoring in music. She wants to be a software developer and will attend the Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI) this summer. Walker will also attend the University of Maryland, College Park. She plans to major in philosophy, political science and economics. She plans to become a lawyer and practice environmental law. Walker is heading to Disney World this summer to celebrate her graduation.
La Plata High School Class of 2021 leaders include valedictorian Ebin Sebastian and salutatorian Olivia Boyce. Sebastian will attend the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) to complete an associate degree program in computer engineering. He plans to transfer to the University of Maryland to complete his bachelor’s degree. Sebastian plans to pursue a career in computer engineering, and learn about managing resources, programs and technology to help his goal of becoming an entrepreneur.
Boyce heads to the University of Mississippi in the fall and plans to major in accounting. She hopes to continue her studies and earn a master’s degree. Boyce plans to pursue a career in business. She received a full academic scholarship to attend Ole Miss.
The Maurice J. McDonough High School Class of 2021 is led by valedictorian Iris Golden and salutatorian Rachel Brasch. Golden heads to Georgia Tech in the fall to study nuclear engineering. She is also considering joining the U.S. Navy after she finishes college and pursuing a master’s degree. She chose Georgia Tech for its engineering programs.
Brasch will attend North Carolina State University in the fall. Her major is Biological Sciences: Integrative Physiology and Neurobiology. Brasch chose N.C. State because of the university’s top science programs. After she finishes her four-year degree, she may pursue her master’s degree with a goal of becoming a physician’s assistant.
Valedictorian for the Class of 2021 at North Point High School is Yasmeen Adeleke. Robert Polk is the class salutatorian at North Point. Adeleke will attend Yale University where she plans to study electrical engineering. She plans to own an engineering firm and will intern this summer with McKinsey & Company. Adeleke will also attend the Google Computer Science Summer Institute.
Polk heads to Vanderbilt University in the fall and plans to study computer engineering. After he graduates, he plans to work as an engineer and focus on helping with climate change. Polk received a four-year National Army ROTC full-ride scholarship.
St. Charles High School senior Ryann Brown leads the Class of 2021 as valedictorian. Brown plans to attend Georgetown University in the fall to study government. She aspires to become an attorney and hopes to work in the Washington, D.C., area. Maryam Amosu is the class salutatorian. She will attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall and plans to study chemical and biomolecular engineering.
Valedictorian for the Class of 2021 at Thomas Stone High School is Jamie Roberts and class salutatorian is Tyler Kelly. Roberts will attend Frostburg University in the fall, where she will play softball and study political science and law and society. She aspires to be an attorney. Kelly will attend the University of Maryland, College Park Honors College to study cybersecurity. Kelly received a full scholarship offer to UMD as part of his acceptance to their Honors College.
The graduating class from Westlake High School is led by valedictorian Kendyl Lane and salutatorian Joshua Binsol. Lane heads to the University of Maryland, College Park. She plans to major in digital marketing to pursue a marketing career focused on helping brands grow.
Binsol also heads to the University of Maryland, College Park in the fall. He plans to major in mechanical engineering. He hopes to pursue classes in the fire protection engineering program. He received a president’s scholarship from UMD and hopes to gain internships in the area of fire protection engineering after he graduates.
2021 graduation numbers by school (scholarship totals may increase as offers are received)
Henry E. Lackey High School
- Total graduates: 238
- Scholarship offers: $17,296,504
La Plata High School
- Total graduates: 285
- Scholarship offers: $17,757,614
Maurice J. McDonough High School
- Total graduates: 242
- Scholarship offers: $13,704,907
North Point High School
- Total graduates: 441
- Scholarship offers: $46,504,176
St. Charles High School
- Total graduates: 296
- Scholarship offers: $16,658,120
Thomas Stone High School
- Total graduates: 248
- Scholarship offers: $27,225,939
Westlake High School
- Total graduates: 257
- Scholarship offers: $18,353,577
Total graduates: 2,007
Total scholarship offers: $157,500,837
