Accepting an honorary College of Southern Maryland degree for the Honorable Barbara Mikulski was Rachel Jones, right, one of Mikulski’s senior staff members. “In 1986 when she was elected to the U.S. Senate she became the first woman elected to that office from the state of Maryland. We salute Senator Mikulski for her strong support of community colleges, her commitment to quality education has advanced the Southern Maryland region—especially STEM programs, expanding access to Pell grants, strengthening our military bases, and leading the drive for an innovative economy,” said CSM Trustee Chair Dorothea Smith, left.