Maryland Live! Casino was awarded the 2013 Career and Technology Education Outstanding Postsecondary Business Partnerships Award of Excellence for its partnership with Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) to meet the growing industry needs for trained and motivated workers in the new casino industry. Accepting the award, from left, are Mary Ellen Mason, director of the AACC Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute; Jody Madigan, chief financial officer of Maryland Live! Casino; Faith A. Harland-White, Ph.D., dean of the AACC School of Continuing and Professional Studies; AACC President Dr. Dawn Lindsay; and Rob Norton, Maryland Live! Casino president and general manager.

The Maryland State Department of Education has recognized Anne Arundel Community College’s partnership with Maryland Live! Casino and staff member Deborah Meyer-Mercado for her distinguished service through her work in preparing students for careers and further education.

Maryland Live! Casino was awarded the 2013 Career and Technology Education (CTE) Outstanding Postsecondary Business Partnerships Award of Excellence for its partnership with AACC to meet the growing industry needs for trained and motivated workers in the new casino industry in Maryland. As one example of the partnership, AACC’s Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism (HCAT) Institute adapted course curriculum in the “Purchasing and Cost Controls” class to allow students to work side by side with representatives of the casino culinary management team. Instead of using standard textbook examples, the students were able to develop, test and cost recipes from a variety of international cuisines, giving the students the opportunity to expand professional networks and learn and practice critical leadership skills they will need in their profession. Maryland Live! also established a $21,000 scholarship for HCAT to continue to make a difference for HCAT students.

Meyer-Mercado, director of sponsored programs at AACC, was awarded the 2013 Career and Technology Education (CTE) Outstanding Postsecondary Distinguished Service Award of Excellence. Meyer-Mercado, who was nominated by the MSDE, was part of a workgroup that developed a Transition Year State Plan and the Maryland CTE Five-Year Plan. She has worked since 2005 to improve Career and Technology Education programs, not only at AACC, but also at the state level, and facilitated a system-wide improvement of student information systems and reporting of CTE data at AACC, which was used as a model at other Maryland colleges.

The Chesapeake Culinary Cup is an American Culinary Federation (ACF)-sanctioned competition salon open to regional college culinary arts programs. Each school entered a 4 person team with three savory and one pastry contestant. The scores of all four students from each school were tabulated to determine an overall team score. ACF competition individual medals as well as team trophies were awarded. In addition, the student from each school with the highest score was recognized during the awards ceremony.

Team Anne Arundel from the Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute at Anne Arundel Community College poses with their medals and trophies after placing first in the Chesapeake Culinary Cup competition.

Chesapeake Culinary Cup Team Results:

1^st Place: HCAT Institute

2^nd Place: Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts (at York Technical Institute)

3^rd Place: Stratford University – Baltimore Campus

Chesapeake Culinary Cup  – HCAT’s Team Anne Arundel individual results:

Gold Medal: Karen Eaton of Annapolis

Silver Medal: Matt Reed of Timonium

Silver Medal: Ricky Rice of Pasadena

Bronze Medal: Aryn Haeger of Parkville

Additional competition categories were offered to baking and pastry students who competed for ACF medals. Winning a Bronze Medal was Heather Tompkins of Severn for a Pastillage Showpiece.

AACC’s HCAT Institute includes credit degree and certificate programs, continuing education certificate and certification programs and courses for personal enrichment. Meet HCAT advisers and college representatives, find out about specific programs and see student demonstrations by attending a free information session from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 13, in the Humanities Building Room 214, AACC Arnold campus, 101 College Parkway. For information, call 410-777-2398 or visit www.aacc.edu/hcat.

All images © 2013, Glenn A. Miller, Glenn A. Miller Photography for Eye On Annapolis.

All images ©2013, Kevin Carroll, A Digital Cure, for Eye On Annapolis

Photo: Courtesy Noreen Frenaye

The following is a transcript of President Barack Obama’s remarks to the United States Naval Academy Class of 2013 presented at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The President’s remarks lasted 22 minutes.  Additional photos of the ceremony will follow shortly.

Hello, Midshipmen!  (Applause.)  Well, thank you, Governor O’Malley, for your kind introduction and the great support that Maryland gives this Academy.  To Secretary Mabus, Admiral Greenert, General Paxton — thank you all for your incredible leadership of our extraordinary Navy and Marine Corps teams.

To Vice Admiral Miller, thank you for the outstanding work that you do.  To Captain Clark and all the faculty and staff; to the moms and dads who raised your sons and daughters to seek this life of service; to the local sponsor families who cared for them far from home; the members of the Class of 1963 — veterans who’ve guided these midshipmen along the way — today is also a tribute to your support and your patriotism.  And I know that the Class of 2013 joins me in saluting your service as well.  (Applause.)

To the entire Brigade of Midshipmen — you embody the highest virtues of this venerable institution.  And yet, I know that some of you at times have enjoyed yourselves at other local institutions like McGarvey’s and Armadillo’s.  (Applause.) But today is a day of celebration — and also forgiveness.  And so, in keeping with tradition, I declare all midshipmen on restriction for minor conduct offenses are hereby absolved.  (Laughter and applause.)  As always, Admiral Miller gets to decide what’s “minor.”  (Laughter.)  Some of these guys are laughing a little nervously about that.  (Laughter.)

Now, obviously, most of all, it is wonderful to be able to celebrate this incredible Class of 2013.  This has special meaning for me as well, because the United States Naval Academy was the very first service academy that I had the privilege to address as President.  On that spring day four years ago, most of you were still in high school, finishing your senior year, or at NAPS, finishing up prep school.  You were a little younger — and I was, too.  You had your entire Naval Academy experience ahead of you; I was already getting chest bumps from the graduates of 2009.  (Laughter.)

Soon after, you came to the Yard — and you got quite a welcome.  The joy of I-Day.  Wonderful haircuts.  Stylish eyeglasses.  And all that Plebe Year, if you got something wrong, your upperclassmen kindly corrected you — at high volume, at very close range.  (Laughter.)  When Michelle brought our daughter Sasha here for a visit, she got a somewhat different reception.  She was just in elementary school, but it seemed like the Navy was already doing some recruiting — because as she went through Bancroft Hall she came to one room and saw the name on the door — “Sasha Obama, Class of 2023.”  (Laughter.)  So you never know.

Today, each of you can take enormous pride, for you’ve met the mission of this Academy.  You’ve proven yourselves morally, living a concept of honor and integrity — and this includes treating one another with respect and recognizing the strength of every member of your team.  You’re the most diverse class to graduate in Naval Academy history.  And among the many proud young women graduating today, 13 will serve on submarines.  (Applause.)

You’ve proven yourselves mentally.  Now, I know that some think of this as just a small engineering school on the Severn.  You’ve not only met its rigorous standards, you’ve helped this Academy earn a new distinction — the number-one public liberal arts school in America.  (Applause.)

And you’ve proven yourselves physically — a Herndon Climb of two minutes, five seconds.  (Applause.)  Now that they put the grease back on, no one will ever match your time.  (Laughter.)  More importantly, last month I welcomed Coach Ken and the team back to the White House because you beat Air Force, you beat Army, and you brought the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy back to Annapolis.  (Applause.)

So, Class of 2013, in your four years by the Bay, you’ve met every test before you.  And today is the day that you’ve been counting down to for so long.  You will take your oath.  Those boards and gold bars will be placed on your shoulders.  And as your Commander-in-Chief, I congratulate each of you on becoming our newest officers — ensigns in the United States Navy, second lieutenants in the United States Marine Corps.

And soon you will join the fleet.  You’ll lead Marines.  And just as you’ve changed over the past four years, so, too, have the challenges facing our military.  Before you arrived here, our nation was engaged in two wars, al Qaeda’s leadership was entrenched in their safe havens, many of our alliances were strained, and our nation’s standing in the world had suffered.  And over the past four years, we’ve strengthened our alliances and restored America’s image in the world.

The war in Iraq is over and we welcomed our troops home.  Thanks to our brave personnel — including our incredible Navy SEALs — we delivered justice to Osama bin Laden.  (Applause.)  In Afghanistan, the transition is underway, our troops are coming home, and by the end of next year our war in Afghanistan will come to an end.  (Applause.)

And today, we salute all the Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in these wars, including 18 graduates of this Academy. We honor them all, now and forever.

Yesterday, I spoke about the way forward in the fight to keep our country secure — for even as we’ve decimated the al Qaeda leadership, we still face threats from al Qaeda affiliates and from individuals caught up in its ideology.  Even as we move beyond deploying large ground armies abroad, we still need to conduct precise, targeted strikes against terrorists before they kill our citizens.  And even as we stay vigilant in the face of terrorism and stay true to our Constitution and our values, we need to stay ready for the full range of threats — from nations seeking weapons of mass destruction to cyber criminals seeking to unleash weapons of mass destruction.

In these tough fiscal times, we also have to make hard choices at home, including in our Armed Forces.  But I want you all to know as you enter in what I know will be extraordinary years of service, let me say as clearly as I can — the United States of America will always maintain our military superiority. And as your Commander-in-Chief, I’m going to keep fighting to give you the equipment and support required to meet the missions we ask of you, and also to make sure that you are getting the pay and the benefits and the support that you deserve.  (Applause.)

I’ll keep fighting for the capabilities and technologies you need to prevail, and a shipbuilding plan that puts us on track to achieve a 300-ship fleet, with capabilities that exceed the power of the next dozen navies combined.  (Applause.)

And I’ll keep fighting to end those foolish across-the-board budget cuts known as the sequester, which is threatening our readiness.  With deficits falling at the fastest rate in decades, it’s time for Congress to budget in a smarter way that protects middle-class priorities, preserves investments in our future, and keeps our military strong — because we have the best-trained, best-led, best-equipped military in history, and I am determined to keep it that way, and Congress should be, too.  (Applause.)

We need you to project power across the oceans, from the Pacific to the Persian Gulf — 100 percent on watch.  We need you to partner with other navies and militaries, from Africa to the Americas.  We need you to respond with compassion in times of disaster, as when you helped respond to Hurricane Sandy.  And in all your work — in your lifetime of service — we need you to uphold the highest standards of integrity and character.

With the time I have left — and I know it’s a little wet, but the Superintendent told me that Marines and folks in the Navy don’t mind a little water.  (Laughter.)

With the time I have left, that’s what I want to discuss today.  It’s no secret that in recent decades many Americans have lost confidence in many of the institutions that help shape our society and our democracy.  But I suggest to you today that institutions do not fail in a vacuum.  Institutions are made up of people, individuals.  And we’ve seen how the actions of a few can undermine the integrity of those institutions.

Every day, men and women of talent and skill work in the financial institutions that fund new businesses, and put new families — put families in new homes and help students go to college.  But we’ve also seen how the misdeeds of some — wild risk-taking or putting profits before people — sparked a financial crisis and deepened the recession that cost millions of Americans their jobs.

Every day, elected officials like those on this stage, but also all across the nation, devote themselves to improving our communities and our country.  But all too often we’ve seen a politics where compromise is rejected as a dirty word, and policies are driven by special interests rather than the national interest.  And that breeds a cynicism that threatens our democracy.

Every day, our civil servants do their jobs with professionalism — protecting our national security and delivering the services that so many Americans expect.  But as we’ve seen again in recent days, it only takes the misconduct of a few to further erode the people’s trust in their government.  That’s unacceptable to me, and I know it’s unacceptable to you.

And against this backdrop, what I said here four years ago remains true today:  Our military remains the most trusted institution in America.  When others have shirked their responsibilities, our Armed Forces have met every mission we’ve given them.  When others have been distracted by petty arguments, our men and women in uniform come together as one American team.

And yet, we must acknowledge that even here, even in our military, we’ve seen how the misconduct of some can have effects that ripple far and wide.  In our digital age, a single image from the battlefield of troops falling short of their standards can go viral and endanger our forces and undermine our efforts to achieve security and peace.  Likewise, those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that make our military strong.  That’s why we have to be determined to stop these crimes, because they’ve got no place in the greatest military on Earth.

So, Class of 2013, I say all this because you’re about to assume the burden of leadership.  As officers, you will be trusted with the most awesome of responsibilities — the lives of the men and women under your command.  And when your service is complete, many of you will go on to help lead your communities, America’s companies.  You will lead this country.  And if we want to restore the trust that the American people deserve to have in their institutions, all of us have to do our part.  And those of us in leadership — myself included — have to constantly strive to remain worthy of the public trust.

As you go forward in your careers, we need you to carry forth the values that you’ve learned at this institution, because our nation needs them now more than ever.

We need your Honor — that inner compass that guides you, not when the path is easy and obvious, but when it’s hard and uncertain; that tells you the difference between that which is right and that which is wrong.  Perhaps it will be a moment when you think nobody is watching.  But never forget that honor, like character, is what you do when nobody is looking.  More likely it will be when you’re in the spotlight, leading others –the men and women who are looking up to you to set an example.  Never ask them to do what you don’t ask of yourself.  Live with integrity and speak with honesty and take responsibility and demand accountability.

We need your Honor and we need your Courage — yes, the daring that tells you to move toward danger when every fiber of your being says to turn the other way.  But even more than physical courage, we need your moral courage — the strength to do what’s right, especially when it’s unpopular.  Because at the end of the day and at the end of your career, you want to look in the mirror and say with confidence and with pride, I fulfilled my oath; I did my duty; I stayed true to my values.

We need your Honor and Courage, and we need your Commitment — that sense of purpose that says I will try even harder, I will do even better in what I expect of myself, in the way I interact with others, including those of different backgrounds.  It’s no accident that our military is the most respected institution in America — and one of the most diverse institutions in America.  So recognize the dignity in every human being.  Treat one another with respect.  Remember that when we harness the talents of every man and every woman from every race and every religion and every creed, no nation can ever match us.

And, finally, we need your Resolve — the same spirit reflected in your class motto:  “Surrender to Nothing.”  If you seek an example, you don’t need to look far, because not long ago, two midshipmen sat where you sat — from the Class of 2006  — and they inspire us today.

Here at the Academy, Brad Snyder was the captain of the swim team.  He deployed to Afghanistan, and while rushing to the aid of his teammates, he stepped on an IED and lost both his eyes. With the support of family and friends, Brad learned to feel his way and move again.  And before long, he was back in the swimming pool, where he said “I’m free.”  Then, just one year later, Brad competed at the London Paralympics and won three medals, including two golds.

And when Michelle and I welcomed our U.S. Olympians to the White House, Brad joined us — standing tall, right in front.  And, he said, “Overcoming adversity is a decision.  You can let that beat you, or you can make the decision to move forward.”

Here at the Academy, Matt Lampert was on the rowing team.  He deployed to Afghanistan with his Marine special ops team.  And as they entered a compound, an IED exploded and Matt lost both his legs.  He endured a long and painful recovery.  But with his new legs, he learned to walk again.  He practiced, he trained, and then he passed his physical tests and deployed to Afghanistan again — a double amputee, back in the fight.

And Matt recently completed his tour.  He is back home and is looking ahead to many years of service.  Reflecting on his journey — his mission to return to his unit — he said he was determined, “however long it was going to take.”

So Class of 2013, I cannot promise you a life of comfort and ease, for you have chosen an ancient path — the profession of arms — which carries all the perils of our modern world.  And just as classes before you could not know that they would find themselves at Coral Sea or Midway or Fallujah or Helmand, we cannot know sitting here today where your service will carry you.

But I do know this.  As you say farewell to Bancroft Hall, as you make your way down Stribling Walk one last time, you’re becoming the newest link in a storied chain.  As I look into your eyes today, I see the same confidence and the same professionalism, the same fidelity to our values of those who’ve served before you — the Jones and Nimitz and Lejeune and Burke, and, yes, the Snyder and the Lampert — Americans who surrendered to nothing.

And I’m absolutely confident that you will uphold the highest of standards, and that your courage and honor and your commitment will see us through, and that you will always prove yourselves worthy of the trust our nation is placing in you today.

So, congratulations, Class of 2013.  (Applause.)  God bless our Navy, and God bless our Marine Corps.  (Applause.)  God bless our Armed Services.  God bless these United States of America.  (Applause.)

The top graduate is Christopher Dean Galvin of Austin, Texas who was a mechanical engineering major. He will be commissioned as a Navy Ensign and will train as a submariner.

This is the 163rd traditional graduation ceremony. Since 1845, approximately 79,900 midshipmen have graduated from the Naval Academy. Since 1980, more than 4100 women including the class of 2013 have graduated from the United States Naval Academy.

Pres. Barack Obama addressed the graduates this morning at about 1020am. The president was joined on the rostrum by Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Vice Adm. Michael Miller Superintendent of the Naval Academy, and Capt. Bob Clark Commandant of midshipmen among other military and political officials.

Due to the federal government sequestration, there was no fly over by any military aircraft at today’s ceremony. Security was tight in the stadium with everyone having to pass through metal detectors and having her belongings searched by Secret Service agents.

The midshipmen of 20^th Company have earned the honor of being designated as the spring 2013 color company through their accomplishments during the last semester.

The Color Parade is the oldest parade at the U.S. Naval Academy, a tradition which began in 1867.   Midshipmen anticipate this parade as their last full dress parade while at the academy.  The highlight of the Color Parade is the formal presentation of the color company pennant to the company that has excelled in academics, athletics and professional accomplishments.

Diane (Lovewell) Melton, Color Girl 1963

One newer tradition at the USNA is the “Another Link In The Chain” program. This program, developed by the USNA Alumni Association, creates a bind between the current class and the one that graduated 50 years prior.  Their class ring will have some element from the Class of 1963 into the design to cement the bond between the two. This year’s class is “linked” with the Class of 1963 and there were rings from ’63 that were donated and the gold was used to create the ones for ’13..  In addition to members of the Class of ’63, there was a special guest– the Color Girl (now called Color Honoree) from 1963, Diane Melton (nee Lovewell) from Arlington, VA.

Midshipman 1^st Class Brooke Pitcher, of East Hampton, Conn., served as the spring semester color company commander.  At graduation, she will be commissioned as an ensign and will train as a Navy pilot. Pitcher will receive the Stewart Wight Hannah Memorial Trophy.  The silver bowl will be displayed in Bancroft Hall throughout the year and is inscribed with the spring semester color company number and the name of the new Color Company commander.

A color honoree is selected by the winning spring semester company commander. Pitcher has selected her mother, Kelly Fabrycki Pitcher of Hartford, Conn., as the 2013 color honoree.

Midshipman 1^st Class Chloe J. Staab, of the 14th Company, from Chino Hills, Calif. served as the fall semester color company commander.  At graduation, she’ll be commissioned as a Navy ensign and will serve as a surface warfare officer aboard the U.S.S. New Orleans. Staab will receive the Forrestal Award, an engraved silver tray presented in honor of the nation’s first Secretary of Defense, James V. Forrestal, donated by the late Charles P. McCormick.

For more information about May events at the Naval Academy, visit http://www.usna.edu/CommissioningWeek/. For more information about the Naval Academy please visit www.usna.edu or our Facebook page.

To view our full gallery of images and video from the Color Parade, please go here!

All images (c) 2013, Glenn A. Miller Photography

The panel consists of two representatives from each of the 12 high school clusters, one representing elementary schools and one representing secondary schools, two at-large representatives, and three representatives appointed by other parent groups in the county. Members serve two-year terms.

The following positions will be vacant at the end of this school year, either because of term expiration or because a member will not be returning to the panel:

• Annapolis Cluster secondary schools representative
• Arundel Cluster secondary schools representative
• Broadneck Cluster secondary schools representative
• Chesapeake Cluster elementary schools representative
• Chesapeake Cluster secondary schools representative
• Glen Burnie Cluster secondary schools representative
• Meade Cluster elementary schools representative
• Meade Cluster secondary schools representative
• North County Cluster secondary schools representative
• Northeast Cluster elementary schools representative
• Northeast Cluster secondary schools representative
• Old Mill cluster elementary schools representative
• Old Mill Cluster secondary schools representative
• Severna Park Cluster secondary schools representative
• South River cluster elementary schools representative
• South River Cluster secondary schools representative
• Southern Cluster secondary schools representative
• At-large representative

Applications, which can be found here, must be received at the Board of Education by the close of business on Wednesday, June 5, 2013. The Board will appoint representatives to these positions as well as confirm the representatives of the Anne Arundel County Council of PTAs, the Special Education Citizen Advisory Committee, and the Superintendent’s Parent Involvement Advisory Council, at a subsequent Board meeting.

Members may not serve more than two consecutive terms. The committee is required to meet at least four times a year, but has met monthly this year. Meetings are generally held at the Parham Building, located at 2644 Riva Road in Annapolis. The meetings and membership in the CAC are open to anyone, regardless of whether they have children in AACPS or not.

Hannah and Matthew LeBlanc

An Annapolis High School student-teacher with the University of Maryland was killed this weekend in a traffic accident in the town of Deerfield, outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Hanna LeBlanc and her husband, were stopped at an intersection in their vehicle and were hit by another vehicle as they attempted to cross the highway.

Both were taken to the University of Wisconsin Hospital where Ms. LeBlanc passed away and her husband remains in critical condition according to The Courier. The LeBlancs had been married almost 2-years.

Annapolis High School sent home a letter last night advising the students and staff of her death.  LeBlanc has made quite a mark on Annapolis High School and was loved by her students and respected by her peers.

Though Ms. LeBlanc had been with our school only since August, she was very popular not only among the math students she taught but among our entire student body and faculty. Ms. LeBlanc had an ability to see the positive in every person she met, and quickly came to love our school, staff, and students. She absolutely loved what she did here, and often arrived early and stayed late because she was so dedicated and passionate about what she was doing. She was here just a short time, but made an enormous impact on us all.

The school is making counselors available to students as needed.