Krista Burdick, 21, of Hughesville graduated from the College of Southern Maryland Jan. 18 with an associate degree in applied science and technology and an associate degree in electrical engineering. Burdick had the chance at CSM to test her academic ability against others. “I participated in the CSM Math Team for extra credit, and the first year I did it, I was the highest-ranking female in the mid-Atlantic region,” she said. “That was really what kept me motivated to continue taking STEM classes.”