PGCC Graduate Catherine Ellong poses with Dr. Williams, Dr. Beale, and her family members
This year’s commencement marked a special day for Prince George’s Community College student Catherine Ellong for more than one reason. She transitioned from a graduation gown into a hospital gown in a matter of hours after going into active labor at the commencement ceremony before receiving her degree.
“It was a lot of emotions going on but it was a blessing at the end of the day,” Ellong said. “It was definitely an experience to remember. I will forever cherish that day. It wasn’t just about graduation, but it was also about my daughter coming into the world.”
It was Ellong’s advisor Dr. Stephanie Pair, program manager of PGCC’s Women of Wisdom program, who placed the call to emergency services to rush Ellong to Holy Cross
Hospital in Silver Spring to deliver a baby girl, Harmony Hayden.
“I wake up every morning really asking that God let my bed be a healing bed for other women,” Dr. Pair said. “I’m grateful that I could be there for her because she’s a stellar student, diligent, and dedicated to making this happen and most important completing her degree at this level.”
Four months later, PGCC leaders came together to recreate a graduation ceremony for Ellong by bestowing her with an official diploma and taking pictures with her family. This example of teamwork and commitment to meet student needs is what Dr. Pair says makes this work purpose-driven.
“It seals the deal for me,” Dr. Pair said. “It’s no longer a village approach, but we need to have a tribal approach to engaging students. Villages tend to be small; tribes are large.”
Ellong entered PGCC through the dual enrollment program as a junior while attending High Point High School in Beltsville, Maryland. She was born and raised in Prince George’s County by her African parents who emigrated to the United States as teenagers. She said watching her parents work hard to pursue higher education and corporate careers at IBM and The World Bank inspired her to remain diligent about her own education and career goals.
“Each generation has their own struggle, but they still try to relate to us and give us insight on what to expect and what to do,” Ellong said. “At the end of the day, you’re representing yourself but you have your family, too, that you want to make proud. That was always at the back of my mind.”
Ellong’s family including her mother, father, brother, and partner were present at the special commencement to celebrate her accomplishment.
“We have always emphasized education because you need that as a foundation to excel and it prepares you to think logically,” Sybella Ellong, Catherine’s mother, said. “I’m very proud of her. Coming to PGCC is a part of the community which we also emphasize. You have to be involved in the community that you live in.”
Ellong says being a student at PGCC allowed her space to explore, develop, and thrive with additional life skills support. She credits the Women of Wisdom program as being paramount in her education journey.
“The one thing about community college is that it’s a community,” she said. “I’m so indecisive. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but they assured me that as long as I’m taking these courses, I’m trying different things. That’s why I’m so glad I didn’t jump out into a university. Having the broad educational courses was good because I got to try different things.
Ellong plans to transfer to the University of Maryland to study health information management and enter the medical field. After spending time at PGCC, she says she feels ready to tackle the rigor at a university and build a legacy for her daughter.
“The whole way through it’s been nothing but support, love, and motivation to keep going and do what I need to do to be successful because once you have an education, nobody can take it away from you,” she said. “This is also something I want to instill in my daughter when she gets to that point.”