Maryland leaders celebrate graduation of first cohort of Gov. Wes Moore’s service year program

By Tashi McQueenAFRO Political Writertmcqueen@afro.com Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) spoke at the commencement for the first cohort of the Maryland Corps Service Year Option, a campaign promise of Moore’s.Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) passionately speaks to the crowd of Maryland Corps Service Year Option graduates, their loved ones and host sites. (AFRO Photo/Tashi McQueen)“Keep doing you, keep serving, keep protecting each other. This is going to be a moment that people will remember for generations to come and they are going to remember you,” said Moore to the large cohort of graduates at Camden Yards in Baltimore on July 16. “I want to thank you for being leaders and making your entire state proud.”The program, which began in 2023, offers recent high school graduates, GED recipients or those with a school completion certificate, an opportunity to get exposed to different career paths and serve their community while earning at least $15 an hour. The first year of this program saw around 240 corps members graduate.“The work all of us have done was not just to fulfill our duties, but to make a real difference in the lives of those around us,” said Courtnei Wright,...