WSSU chancellor presides over historic commencement ceremony
Winston-Salem State University celebrated its fall graduates during commencement Friday, Dec. 13. More than 500 students became alumni, ready to depart to serve, during the historic ceremony that was presided by the university’s first female chief administrator, Chancellor Bonita Brown.
“I am most honored to be presiding over my first commencement as the 14th and first female chancellor at Winston-Salem State University,” Brown said. “We are delighted to have you join us for the fall 2024 commencement. Today marks a significant milestone in a student’s life, and we are pleased that you are here to share in this wonderful celebration of genius.”
In his invocation, the Rev. Frank T. Robinson Jr. of Messiah Community Christian Church, prayed a special blessing for the graduates’ parents, guardians, family and friends who sacrificed to make this educational journey possible for them, acknowledging that some of them worked two to three jobs.
“May they know today that their labor, their frustration, their push, their encouragement and most of all, their prayers, have not been in vain,” Robinson said. “Someone is now an interruption in their bloodline and the first in their family to attend college. And now they are the bridge between what was and what can be.”
“You all are destined to have amazing careers,” said Bill Miller, chairman of the WSSU Board of Trustees and Class of 1983. “Some of you will blaze new and exciting paths - some that have never before been imagined.”
SGA President Tyrone McNair Jr. likened graduating to finishing a chapter in a book. “We’ve spent years writing, revising and learning, each page filled with challenges, triumphs and growth. Now if you close this chapter, the story doesn’t end. It simply is a transition to the next, where new adventures, opportunities and experiences await. The pen is in our hands. The next chapter is yours to write.”
Sanayia Allison, senior class president, reminded graduates that they entered WSSU with a mix of emotions and uncertainty. WSSU shaped them to be their best selves and taught them how to problem solve, manage their time and recover from challenges.
“As we leave this campus and enter the next phase of our lives, let us remember the importance of kindness, the value of resilience and the power of curiosity. Let us stay hunger for knowledge, passionate about our causes and dare to dream big,” Allision said.
During the ceremony, Lt. Col. John P. Flach conducted the commissioning ceremony for graduate and cadet Jayvin Shaw for the office of second lieutenant in the NC Army National Guard.
Click here to see commencement photo gallery.
