As Cecil College is preparing for its 50th Anniversary celebrations this year, I sat down to interview the College’s President, Dr. Mary Way Bolt. We talked about her history with Cecil, student life, and Cecil College’s upcoming 50th Anniversary.

Q: Thank you for meeting with me! So first off, I understand you are actually a graduate of Cecil. How has graduating from Cecil and then becoming the president of the college impacted how you view student life on campus?

A: Being a Cecil student was amazing, and I appreciated Cecil more when I completed my bachelors and masters degree, realizing what a great foundation I had received at Cecil College. And, you know, over the years what students expect for student life is very different, and it’s so critical that we help engage students here on campus. I think our student life does a great job. It’s a challenge to capture that new high school student interest, as well as that returning adult who, like many students, are working part time or full time and trying to fit in school and family and a life here on campus. There are a lot of opportunities here on campus, and our latest physical additions, such as the new the fitness and wellness center and the Engineering and Math building, are a benefit for all students. I think it’s critical that we look at student life because there’s enough data that shows that an engaged student is a successful student. We hope to help find that balance for student life and it’s not the same thing for all students.

Q: What are some other positions you’ve held at Cecil before becoming the president, and what did those entail?

A: I was an adjunct nursing faculty member many years ago, so I had students who were in the nursing program in the clinical setting. I had students at Harford Memorial Hospital, and at Union Hospital I had students in pediatrics and in medical surgical nursing. I then became a full time faculty member in the nursing department and subsequently, I became the Director of Nursing. My titles changed while I was in nursing, I became an associate dean of nursing and healthcare, then dean of nursing and healthcare. And I had some other positions where we had some vacancies and I was filling in interim. Later, I was interim Vice President for Academic Programs. Our former president [Stephen Pannill] left on medical leave and as the Vice President of Academic Programs, I was the second in command of the institution. I was very fortunate to later go through the search process and to be hired by our board of trustees to serve as the fifth president, and the first female.

Q: What do you regard as either your favorite or most noteworthy accomplishment at this college?

A: I think the most noteworthy is really helping to transform the culture to be more student-centered. We are always very student-friendly and I want to continue to push that piece. And in terms of employees, really directing our human resources to put more emphasis on professional development; I think that’s critical.

Q: The 50th anniversary is coming up soon. How can current students connect with traditions, such as a 50th anniversary, and what can an anniversary mean to students?

A: I think the 50th anniversary can mean a lot to students and faculty and staff. The tagline is “It all started here”, because I think that Cecil College has helped change and transform lives of individuals in our community. The ECA program, Early College Academy at Oxford, is a great example of that. Twenty years ago that was not even envisioned, and now it’s reality. In May [when the first ECA class graduates from high school] it’s going to be a reality. I think at every turn students can become involved in the 50th. It really is significant, when you think back on how would this region be in terms of economy, in terms of workforce if it were not for the college, and the college support. Students can get involved by participating in student orientation, student welcome back days, and clubs. Not just things that are student-focused but really focused on the entire community. On May 5th we have our 50th anniversary gala, where I would love to raise $50,000, whereas our gala usually only raises about $30,000. It’s all important. What I think students can do about celebrating the 50th is share their stories! People aren’t going to know about how lives have been transformed unless we tell the story. And I think students are the best advocates of telling their stories at Cecil.

Q: You touched on this briefly, but how do you feel about being the colleges first female president?

A: I feel that it’s normal, and the reason I say that is I often held leadership roles that were at one point in time not lead by women. I feel that women in leadership really brings a collaborative approach, and when you look at the Maryland Association of Community Colleges comprised of sixteen community colleges, most of the presidents now are female. It also mimics our student body, where 60% of our student body are female. So for me, it doesn’t seem extraordinary, it just seems a fact.

Q: How can seeing someone like yourself in a position of authority be inspiring or impactful to young women?

A: I think in my role as president I can try and be inspiring and impactful by reaching out and having conversations. I’m known on campus, if you walk by I’m going to say “Hi” to you, I’m going to come up to you, and I might get you to help me with my phone. I think it’s really about engaging and reaching out to young women and young men to say, take those chances, take those opportunities, and while you’re in school it’s the best time to do that. Sometimes we have to find the support in different areas then what we would typically expect. But I think that going out and encouraging young women is what I do every day. And some of that is how I carry myself and how I behave in my professional life. I make sure that I have a positive regard with whomever I interact with, I think it’s important to show and to do that.

This interview took place on December 5, 2017.