Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Dec. 19, 2002, edition 1 / Page 4
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Fall commencement at WSSU makes history BY T KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE The podium became a pulpit the moment Ben Ruffin stepped behind it to deliver the keynote address at Winston-Salem State University's only second fall commencement ceremony Fri day. Ruffin. a well-known local businessman who made history four years ago by becoming the first African-American to chair the University of North Caroli na Board of Governors, spoke to a graduating class of 214, which included WSSU's first ever crop of master's degree students and hundreds of the graduates' family members and friends. During a speech that drew an equal amount of laughs and shouts of "amen," Ruffin reminded the graduates, who sat in the first few rows of K.R. Williams Auditorium, that the people who sat in the rows behind them - mothers, fathers, siblings, professors, grandpar ents - made it all possible for the graduates. "No matter how high you get in life, no matter how many degrees you get in life, you will still be looking up to those peo ple behind you....Don't you ever forget the bridge that brought you across," Ruffin said, Winston-Salem State is the shining jewel in the UNC sys tem's crown these days. It has had some of the largest increas es in enrollment in the last few years, and. as Ruffin pointed out, the school's chancellor, Harold Martin, is regarded as one of the nation's foremost educational leaders. The evolution of WSSU, which began in 1892 as a trade school for blacks, was evident at the graduation. Students of all races and ages received degrees in several disci plines, from nursing to sports manage ment. Evok ing the words of both Cur tis May field and Langston Hughes, Ruffin urged the graduates to "keep on pushing" and not let receiving a degree be their last great accomplishment. "It is no sin not to reach your goal in life, but it is a sin not to have a goal to reach for," Ruffin said. Among those listening intently to Ruffin from the audi ence was Tonya Smiley, one of five students who received mas ter's degrees in physical therapy during the ceremony. First established in summer of 2000. the MPT program was WSSU's first venture into graduate edu cation. The school has since Ruffin PtuMo by Kevin Walker Gloria Green, left, stands beside Tonya Smiley, one of five graduates who received MPT degrees last week. started other graduate programs, including a master's in nursing and an MBA program. During the commencement, Smiley basked in her success. Shp said there was not much time for her and her classmates to fully grasp the scope of their historic accomplishments while they were taking classes. "It was rough....There was a lot of studying," Smiley said about the MPT program. Smiley said she will be for ever grateful that WSSU's MPT program came along at a time when she was interested in pur suing a career in the profession. Smiley, a Hartford. Conn., native, joined the Army after receiving her undergraduate degree. She was living in Fayet teville when she decided to attend an open house for the MPT program. That was two and half years ago. "It has definitely been worth it for me," she said. Smiley started a new job Monday at a High Point nursing home. Although the MPT program, which is fully accredited, is expected to graduate about 25 students in the next few years. Gloria Green, chair of the phys ical therapy department, said the program is evolving as it is helping students to evolve. "It is a continuous tweaking process." Green said. "It is a better program now than when the first students started." Green and her staff were perhaps more excited than the graduates on Friday. The physi cal therapy team had put in years of legwork and research to bring a master's program to WSSU. It was a process that look not only a lot of work but a great deal of faith as well, Greeh said. Fittingly, last Thursday, during the pinning ceremony for the master's students, attendees broke into the gospel song 'To God Be the Glory." Seeing the five students walk across the stage last week was evidence that the work and the prayers had paid off. "We are Teally an elated group today," Green said. Students hoping to follow in the footsteps of the first five joined faculty and staff mem bers after the commencement to congratulate the students. Karen Merritt snapped photos of Smi ley as she received congratula tory hugs from supporters. Merritt. a Raleigh native, is enrolled in the MPT program. "This gives me hope," she said, gesturing toward Smiley and the other students (Robert Gentry, Timothy Shore. Benjamin Hill and Morgan Kenney). "I hope that I wilLbe able to accomplish the same thing and be where they are in 2004." For more information on WSSU's new graduate pro grams, log onto the school's Web site at www.wssu.edu. There is a link for the school's new School of Graduate Studies and Research. The deadline for the MPT program's upcoming class is in mid-January. The program is still accepting appli cations. A&T from paAI attended A&T, graduated from A&T or people who have recruited from A&T and love the legacy of academic excel lency." The university has good reasons for putting its faith behind Howroyd. She has a proven track record of turning dreams into realities and con verting goals into successes. Howroyd's company, ACT* I Group, has annual revenue exceeding $200 million and a national network of offices. The Tarboro native started the company from scratch in the late 1970s after leaving home to live with one of her sisters in California. Back in those days, Howroyd found that being North Carolina born and A&T bred had its advantages. Her first job on the West Coast was at Billboard magazine, where, she says, California culture allowed employees to wear just about anything they want ed to work. Howroyd stood out to management because of her sharp business suits and matching purses. "I started coaching and encouraging the other secre taries and clerks and reception ists in the building on how they should look." Howroyd said. People in the entertainment industry took notice and began approaching Howroyd to find them employees who pos sessed the same standards of professionalism for which Howroyd became known. "Reputations build up very quickfy." Howroyd said. "I was being called a (job) recruiter before 1 even knew what a recruiter was." These days ACT'l Group fulfills employers' needs in several states, including North Carolina, and has a client ros ter that boasts such names as Toyota. The Gap and Ford Motor Co. ACT* I Group's suc cess has also allowed Howroyd to start several affiliated com panies, including the Califor nia National University for Advanced Studies, an accredit ed distance learning institution that offers bachelor's and mas ter's degrees in everything from business administration to human resources. Howroyd shared some of her keys to success with A&T's newest crop of gradu ates Saturday at the school's fall commencement, where 516 students received degrees. Howroyd was the keynote speaker. During her remarks. Howroyd drove home to stu dents the importance of giving back to their alma mater. Howroyd believes that alumni do not have to be beat en over the head with the mes sage to give back. Her approach is to simply remind alums that more than 90 per cent of them received financial assistance to attend A&T and many of them enjoyed the ben efits of the new facilities on the campus - both of which, she said, took money to make a reality. "1 don't think that there is a lesson thai needs to be taught here. I think there is a celebra tion (of A&T) that needs to be encouraged," she said. A&T's $100 million goal is lofty for any school, but espe cially for a state-run historical ly black institution. School officials say that for A&T to continue to produce world class leaders and offer first rate instruction. . it needs money that Raleigh couldn't possibly provide. Funds from the capital campaign, which has been themed From Genera tion to Generation, will be used lastly for scholarships and endowments. The cam paign officially began in Octo ber during homecoming. But the campaign was in a so called silent phase way before that. About $43 million has already been raised. Officials hope the rest will be secured in the next five years. Howroyd said she has already begun to concentrate her efforts on securing more West Coast support for the campaign. For Howroyd - a woman who speaks with the bountiful energy of a motivational speaker and the determination of a politician - failure with the capital campaign is not an option. "We will do it by any. means necessary," she said, with a broad smile, "anything legal and godly." Photo by Charles Wutkins/A&T Janice Bryant Howroyd and two of her siblings, Carlton Bryant and Patricia Bryant, look through an A&T promotional booklet with Eui H. Park, chair of the school's industrial engi neering department. Almost the entire Bryant family attended A&T. For more information on the capital campaign, log onto www.ncat.edu and click on the Generation to Generation icon. Donations can be made by sending checks or money orders to N.C. A&T State Uni versity Office of Development and University Relations, ATTN: Mr. Michael Magoon, 1601 E. Market Street, Greens boro, N.C. 27411 V File Photo Michael Cun ningham pre pares to photo graph a group of local women in 1999. His photos became a part of the best-selling book "Crowns." Shutterbugs from page AI careers and avenues thai may not necessarily be available to them by traditional methods." Cunning ham said. "There are so, so many opportunities in photography - careerwise - and there are many creative outlets in terms of expres sion and self-esteem." Cunningham is thrilled to be kicking off the program in Win ston-Salem. where he got his start as a photographer at the age of 12. He also likes the idea of exposing African-American kids to the arts, something that he feels they do not receive enough of. "The best challenges and roads for (black) folks comed^om skills that are already withifryou. The greatest chances of success can come from skills like music, painting and art that God gave you and that you didn't have to open a book to learn." Cunning ham said. Cunningham intends to teach his photography students how to create their very own darkrooms in their bathrooms at home where they will he able to develop and process the pictures they have taken. TVcely Williams, president of the Urban Shutterbugs board, said: "Most programs like this exist in New York or California. Very few Southern cities do some thing like this, and it is good opportunity for someone (like Cunningham) with some home town flavor that the community can connect with." Williams developed the idea along with Cunningham. Williams explained that the Triad program will be duplicated in other cities where they hope to establish Urban Shutterbugs in a few years. Washington. D.C. has already been chosen as the loca tion for the next Urban Shutter bugs program to be developed. Over the next few months, Williams and the rest of the board - which Williams says has mem bers scattered throughout the country - will focus on raising funds to purchase all of the equip ment for program participants. "Students can hopefully develop a skill that will lead to a profit, an internship or even a career." said Williams, noting that the annual goal for Urban Shutter hugs is $130,000. Class will begin in the sum mer of 2003 once the first group of 10 youngsters has been chosen. The photography students will meet with Cunningham one Sat urday out of the month. At the end of the year-long program, participants will show case their work in a photography exhibit. To make a donation to Urban Shutterbugs, contact Txcely Williams at (336) 918-1516 or mail vour tax-deductible donation to P.O Box 20488. Winston Salem. NC 27120-0488. I SALEM COLLEGE Csot*^A>e4' wmi r a ? A^i! Hf Workshop for Writers: Wordcrafting with the Pro's ^' Wines of Europe > The Fine Points of Vivid Prose ' t ' tf ' Conversational Spanish fori w Beginners or Intermediates V Sketching with Pen and Ink, Winery Tour of the Yadkin Valley ("' SAT Prep Classes for High School Students Career Notes: Learning to Build and Market Your Resume^ eBay 102: Building JL Productive Auctions ' Investment and Financial a Strategies: Master the Basics of Financial Planning OS . " Ballroom Dancing for Beginners ^Cel! Traveled Colonial Roads: The History Beneath Your Feet Surrealist Cinemat * I C'D reams and Subversion)" Painting Fundamentals: Back by Popular I?$mand f Drawing Animals in Action: ' Animals on the Run A Introduction to Wine * Wine Varieties of the World Give the gift of learning... Put a Salem course under the tree! Io register, call 336-721-2855 or go to www.salem.edu/community
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Dec. 19, 2002, edition 1
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