Budget
Dollars & Decisions — Understanding FY27 Budget Choices + What’s Next
Dec 08, 2025
Summer Grads Prove Determination Never Takes a Break
Spring isn’t the only time tassels turn. Each year, students from high schools across PGCPS graduate in summer — and the Class of 2025 showed that achievement isn’t bound by the traditional calendar.
For these graduates, summer wasn’t a break — it was a grind of early mornings, long days, and steady work to cross the graduation stage.
They pushed through setbacks, balanced personal challenges, and kept their eyes on the finish line.
Here are a few Summer 2025 grads who turned obstacles into stepping stones.
- Maximo Sosa Vargas, Bowie High School, battled serious health issues and underwent surgery during his senior year. Between hospital stays and home instruction, he stayed in close contact with his counselor and worked through assignments one by one.
- Moehonie Williams, Friendly High School, saw his motivation drop after several close friends transferred. With help from his family, counselor, and administrator, he regained focus and met every requirement to graduate.
- Jose Hercules Torres, Central High School, arrived from El Salvador at 18, learning English while holding a job to support himself. He turned obstacles into opportunities, emerging as a leader among peers.
- Brenda Diaz-Santos, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, faced the loss of her sister during her sophomore year and helped care for her ailing mother — all while staying on track academically and setting an example for her younger siblings.
Each graduate found a way to adapt, persist, and finish strong.
“Some see summer school as a second chance,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph. “I see it as a smart choice — proof of what’s possible when you start with a goal and work until it’s yours.”
The Class of Summer 2025 leaves with more than a diploma. They carry resilience, discipline, and the confidence to navigate life’s detours. And for them, this graduation isn’t an ending — it’s the beginning of the next chapter.
Congratulations, graduates!
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