The Tuskegee University Class of 2023 marches toward their future
|
Posted By: S. Moore on May 17, 2023 Thousands of family and friends flocked into Chappie James Arena and overflow areas to watch more than 400 students walk across the stage to receive their Tuskegee University degrees on Saturday. The week before, the university conferred doctorate and master’s degrees in the graduate and professional school ceremony. Saturday’s undergraduate celebration included students who pushed through to earn a degree in three years, those who earned duo-degrees and those who returned to receive their degree after several decades away from campus. Extraordinary scholarship was rewarded with a variety of cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude recognitions. Board of Trustees Chair Norma Clayton offered a number of pearls of wisdom as graduates prepared to take the stage. “Leave your mark wherever you go,” she said. “Write your own story. Keep your skills sharp. Make time to thank and appreciate the most important people in your life. Go in peace. Do well and make us proud.” Dr. Lisa D. Cook, the ceremony’s commencement speaker is the first African American woman to sit on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The Fed, which has remained in the news this year, is the central bank of the United States and it influences interest rates, managing money supply and regulating financial markets. Dr. Cook received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Tuskegee. “It is a distinct pleasure and tremendous honor to return to the great Tuskegee University as your commencement speaker and to share this day with you, your friends, and your family,” said the Spelman College graduate. “The last time I was here, I participated in a symposium in honor of the late Andrew Brimmer, the economist, first African American to serve on the Federal Reserve Board, and former chair of the Board of Trustees of Tuskegee. “This graduation is an especially celebratory day in your life because you made it through the upheaval of the pandemic and the disruption and uncertainty it brought,” she said. “That makes this occasion all the more meaningful. And today you will receive diplomas from one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning and innovation-centered universities in the world. “As you make your way in the world, Tuskegee and its rich heritage will always be a part of you and your story of achievement,” Dr. Cook said. “And it will always be a place to call home. You will inspire others to know and attend HBCUs, and they, like you, will look back with reverence and gratitude and feel a connection to an enduring legacy. Congratulations, Tuskegee University Class of 2023! I cannot wait to see you go out into the world and knock those doors down!” After graduates received their degrees, several students were acknowledged for their commissions as second lieutenants and ensigns the U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force. SOURCE Tuskegee University News If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest News
 |
Promote the Vote Fund: Ensuring Every Voice Is Heard in Michigan 28 April 2026
Promote the Vote Fund, a Ford grantee, is a coalition of partner organizations leading these efforts. The organization works across the ideological spectrum to support voting rights for Michiganders ...more
Hija Chang • 80 Views • May 3rd, 2026 |
 |
Temple to open medical campus in Atlantic CityBoth Temple and the Katz School of Medicine are guided by the belief that education and healthcare open doors and transform communities, and that is exactly what we have accomplished in Pennsylvania,” ...more
Hija Chang • 87 Views • May 3rd, 2026 |
 |
Apartheid’s legacy and the rise of xenophobia in South Africa todayPhoto: An image showing a South African township street with closed small shops owned by African migrants, police presence in the background, and community members walking past with tense expressions. ...more
Joel Savage • 321 Views • April 30th, 2026 |
 |
James Artissen, Big Gipp & DJ Burn One - Just Another DayAcclaimed Grammy-Nominated singer-songwriter James Artissen teams up with Southern hip-hop rapper Big Gipp, and respected producer DJ Burn One for their latest release, “Just Another Day.” The record ...more
Lenell Johnson • 204 Views • April 28th, 2026 |
 |
PROPEL Center Launches Future of Tech Innovation Challenge to Spotlight HBCU Talent & Shape the Next Generation of AI LeadersPROPEL Center, the global HBCU technology and innovation hub committed to strengthening the future Black talent pipeline, announced the launch of the Future of Tech Innovation Challenge, a national co ...more
Crystal Willis • 254 Views • April 27th, 2026 |
Popular News
 |
North Carolina HBCU Unity DayShaw University - Elizabeth City State University - Johnson C. Smith University - Fayetteville State University - Livingstone College - North Carolina A&T State University - North Carolina Central Uni ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 108,203 Views • August 8th, 2016 |
