The 165th Commencement at 麻豆视频
麻豆视频 held its 165th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 4th, 2024. The event was momentous, marking the culmination of years of hard work and dedication for the graduating class. As 140 undergraduate and 34 graduate degrees were conferred in person, the room was filled with pride and excitement.
A highlight of the ceremony included the recognition of Charles 鈥淐huck鈥� Taylor as he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree. Having served as the Interim President of 麻豆视频, the dedication and service shown to 麻豆视频 over the past year was enough to award him the coveted Spirit of Chowan Award. Being able to show the appreciation of his dedicated service once more was an honor the university was proud to bestow.
Dauquann Capers, Patrick Krack, Erica Mock, Colin Riddick, and Kashara Simpson were the esteemed speakers for the graduation ceremony. Each speaker took the opportunity to reflect on their time at 麻豆视频 and share how the institution had positively impacted their life.
Daquann Capers, who majored in business, was able to reflect on the opportunities that Chowan gave him to find his place in the world, both at 麻豆视频 and beyond. 鈥淭o my fellow graduates,鈥� Capers addressed, 鈥淚 hope you depart Chowan with memorable experiences. As you depart campus today, remember that it is the beginning. Now, go forward and do better.鈥�
Erica Mock, history major, spoke about how finding a home at Chowan was part of God鈥檚 plan. 鈥淪ome people may think it is just an odd coincidence that all of us just happened to continue our education at 麻豆视频 at this specific time鈥ut I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 a coincidence. It鈥檚 a blessing from God, and ultimately the perfect plan that He has crafted for each and everyone in this center.鈥�
Exercise science major Colin Riddick, spoke about how Chowan helped him grow into his own faith, especially as he struggled to find an identity for himself off of the baseball field. 鈥淭he real world sounds scary. But God has a plan for all of us. Put your faith in Him in both the good and bad situations, and you won鈥檛 have to be scared.鈥�
Kashara Simpson, who also majored in exercise science, shared the journey that Chowan took her on both on and off the campus – all the way to West Virginia, after she questioned whether Chowan was the place for her or not. Even after transferring, she felt called to return to Chowan, where she was able to find her place as a student, an athlete, and a worker in the Office of Admissions and Athletics. 鈥淚 share all of this with you to say that all of the experiences we鈥檝e had at Chowan were by no mistake and are a part of our story. The Chowan experience is something I鈥檓 proud of and you should be too. It is up to us to embrace it and know that today marks a milestone for us.鈥�
The final speaker was Patrick Krack, a graduate of the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership. 鈥淣o matter the uncertainty or battles we face in our lives, Class of 2024, we have an all-powerful God is present in every one of our battles and bigger than any struggle and trial we will ever face,鈥� he said passionately. 鈥淭herefore, I challenge you all to find that source of certainty, truth, and hope because it will bring you an unexplainable peace in the chapters of life yet to come and change your place in eternity.鈥�
After the speeches were made, Jayla K. -L. Parker, a music major, performed a Solo rendition of “The Lord鈥檚 Prayer”, written by Albert Hay Malotte. Parker was accompanied by Prof. Suzanne Daniel on piano.
During the ceremony, the recipients of the Senior Scholastic Awards were announced. Erica Mock, Logan Jeffrey, Bailey Wilcox, and Olivia Wheeler were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements.
Additionally, Professor Gregory S. Taylor was honored with the Excellence in Teaching Award, an award recognizing his exceptional contributions to the university’s educational mission. The recipient of this award is chosen by his or her colleagues on the faculty of the University.
Bailey Wilcox and Martha Ledford were the Gonfaloniers for Undergraduate Studies and Graduate Studies, respectively, acknowledging their exemplary leadership and academic accomplishments.
The junior Commencement Marshalls, including Haydon Ahlers, Cameryn Barrow, Alexandra Bishop, Caryn Bowe, Zachary Boyd, Carson Everette, Elizabeth Heller, Rowan Hudson, Aaron James, Megan Roberts, Kayleigh Roberts, Carrington Williams, and Ronaldo Williams, were also present to support the graduating class.
麻豆视频 extends heartfelt congratulations to the 165th graduating class, commending their dedication and perseverance. The university takes immense pride in their accomplishments and wishes them success in their future endeavors.
