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It's commencement time, and by week's end, I will have happily shaken more than 1,200 hands.

Having just completed my first year as provost of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, I will be as excited as the students who cross the stage to the cheers of their friends and families.

For many, the refrain of "Pomp and Circumstance" may call to mind images of the Ivy League elite, private institutions like my undergraduate alma mater, Yale. But as someone who has studied, taught and been an administrator at a variety of campuses, I hear at commencement the soundtrack of one of America's greatest opportunities: public higher education.

On commencement day, each student crossing that stage represents the realization of a family's hopes. Each cap and gown symbolizes a journey, made more poignant as many students have had to overcome substantial financial, physical and personal hardships. Others carry the dreams of generations on their shoulders, as the first in their families to complete college.

Pride in graduates

We are proud and fortunate to have many Class of ‘09 graduates with impressive job offers or acceptances from prestigious graduate programs. I am more impressed, however, by the character of our students. Faced with the most challenging economic, social and political circumstances in a generation, students are steadfastly committed to protecting the environment, defending human rights, helping the homeless and building the businesses that will create our economic recovery.

To give two examples from many, the stories of Priya Mathews of Beltsville, UMBC's valedictorian, and Phil Hannam of Laurel, the Class of '09 student medalist at the University of Maryland, College Park, are inspiring.

Priya, headed to Johns Hopkins Medical School, volunteered as an undergraduate at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center and led a fundraiser for an impoverished Indian village. She is the first in her family to graduate from college.

Phil was a campus leader in sustainability efforts and volunteered across the globe with the university's Engineers Without Borders chapter. He aims to study abroad in China followed by a career with the United Nations' environmental programs division.

Working in concert with our colleagues at private universities, public universities provide the breadth of opportunity that is essential for our society and economy to thrive. This week, more than 17,000 students will graduate from Maryland public universities. This breadth of opportunity is, of course, made possible by the substantially lower tuition cost of public institutions.

Working on solutions

Public campuses are also uniquely focused on the social problems that matter most to the citizens they serve. On University System of Maryland campuses, faculty and students are searching for cures for cancer and Alzheimer's; tackling the shortage of K-12 teachers; developing public policy solutions to our economic challenges; working to protect the Chesapeake Bay; closing the achievement gap for minority students, and developing a well-prepared, globally competitive workforce.

If you're a family member or friend of one of the students graduating from Maryland public universities this week, enjoy the moment. Savor the ceremony, take lots of pictures and take pride in all that your loved one has achieved with your help.

If you're a taxpaying Marylander, you should be proud too. The majority of USM graduates will stay in Maryland and contribute as taxpayers and citizens for years to come. If you happen to hear "Pomp and Circumstance" or see a young person in cap and gown, take a moment and contemplate this: Maryland is home to one of the finest public higher education systems in the nation, thanks to you and the strong support of Gov. Martin O'Malley and other elected officials.

By week's end, my right hand may be a little tired, but as I think about the future of our state, my heart will be filled with hope and pride.

Elliot Hirshman, Ph.D., is provost of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He has studied, taught and been an administrator at George Washington University, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the University of Colorado at Denver, Arizona State University, Yale and UCLA.