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The youngest student, Magen Stempin, 17, of La Plata, got an early start in her collegiate academic pursuits. When she was in sixth grade, she read about a program at Mary Baldwin College (MBC), west of Charlottesville, Va., where students could begin college after middle school through a middle college type of program. With the help of her seventh grade teacher Mrs. Walent and the permission of her parents, Stempin headed for MBC after completing Milton Somers Middle School. Stempin has been passionate about literature and writing since seventh grade, she said. She transferred to CSM in fall 2012. She appreciates CSM Associate Professor Erich Hintze as a mentor and an inspiration. “He guided me and helped me blossom as a writer,” said Stempin, who said she registered for an English class with Hintze as an elective after meeting her requirements. She is congratulated by CSM Trustee Mike Middleton as she crossed the stage to accept her associate degree in General Studies: English.