Record-setting class completes WSSU journey
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Winston-Salem Slate
University has graduated its
largest class in history. Nearly
800 degree candidates danced,
cried, hugged, squealed and
laughed their way across the
staee at the Lawrence Joel
'JeteraiTs Memorial Coliseum
Siaturday morning.
"I'm just so excited today,
about graduating from Winston
Salem State University 1 had a
tremendous experience and 1 am
jlst excited to be here." com
mented Business Administration
Major LaMonica Moore. "It's
commencement, meaning that
? ou're going to starta^ftw jour
i ey so this is onldbpening up
i le dpor-for me atfdiigh
; s I cSn go."
Intermittent screams from
the crowd answered the energy
on stage, as graduates paused to
wave to loved ones or mug for
the camera. Those seated
swayed in their seats, anxious
for their turn to become the
newest alumni of Winston
Salem State University.
"For those of us in higher
education, this is the time of
year that we wait for,
Chancellor Donald Reaves told
the crowd of more than 124)00
"This is what it's really all
about."
It was a bittersweet moment
for Cum Laude graduate
Kristopher Ferguson, who was
orphaned at age 10. The Miami,
Fla.-native triple majored in
accounting, finance and eco
nomics, becoming one of the
only WSSU graduates ever to do
so.
"I took up chemistry as a
minor, but I just decided
accounting wasn't for me. But 1
didn't want to drop it because I
only .needed one class, he
explained. "So I decided to put
in an extra year and finished
two majors in that one year.
Majoring in three disciplines
required long hours of study and
a grueling course load, Ferguson ^
revealed.
"I actually took 24 creoit
hours this semester," he said. "I
knew if I stayed an extra year 1
had to make it worth it. I just
sort of buckled down and hit the
Sofcreairhard. 1 was really
happy ?> finis* witt ^Afr out
of those eight claiiup/
1 Marketing Major Jefomy
Bailey started his own cus
tomized shoe business while
attending WSSU.
Working in conjunction with
two friends. Bailey created orig
inal artwork on sneakers for his
fellow classmates.
The idea garnered the three
some a first place award from
the university's undergraduate
business plan competition.
Though he will soon relo
cate to Orlando, Ha. to begin his
career at Proctor & Gamble,
Bailey says he and his partners
are committed to keeping the
project alive.
"Absolutely ? it's something
that we don't really want to let
go so we're trying to develop it
as much as we can," he com
mented. "Even though I have
other career aspiratibns and
things I've already committed
Thousands gather at the coliseum for Saturday's commencement.
. Photos by Garrett Ganm/WSSl'
An excited graduate celebrates.
to, it's still something I think we
can develop a little bit more."
Candrice Nolan transferred
to WSSU her sophomore year.
"I've enjoyed all of the
opportunities that I've had at
Winston-Salem State
University. When I first stepped
on campus, there wis a sense of
family, of community and I real
ly enjoyed that," said Nolan,
who has landed a job at Pfizer,
Inc., touted as the world's
largest research-based biomed
ical and pharmaceutical compa
ny. "ItJXiljy homc feeling."
CdjjjjjsjpTunier, a clinical
labratory student , will travel to
Brazil July 1 to begin a six
month Brazillian Exchange
Program sponsored by
WFUBMC.
"It's basically a biomedical
exchange program for students
who have healthcare back
grounds and are going to do var
ious research," she explained.
"I plan to go there, learn as
much as I can and use that when
1 go to grad school."
Kristopher Ferguson celebrates his achievements.
Jacqueline Baldwin attended
the university's evening and
weekend program while caring
for her daughter and three
granddaughters. Baldwin's hap
piest moment at WSSU was wit
nessed by thousands. j>
"I also had the distinct pleas
ure and honor to introduce our
presidential candidate's wife,
Michelle Obama (when she vis
ited WSSU recently)," she
revealed. "It was great; I've
never been so honored and it
was wonderful, just the magni
tude of it.'o
Emmy Award-winning
actress Cicely Tyson served as
keynote speaker for the Spring
Commencement.
"I cannot tell you how privi
leged I feel to be a part of this
graduating class," said Tyson,
who was awarded an honorary
degree at the ceremony. "This
one is a special gift."
The prolific thespian shared
pearls of wisdom from her own
journey with the audience. In
her brief speech, she likened the
world to the waters of an ocean
or river that change constantly.
"I have known rivers;
ancient, dusky rivers," she said.
"I have shaken rivers out of my
eyes and I'm still here ...
because I cut the word fear out
of my life ... I let no one tell me
that I cannot do anything."
FTCC
frontpage A J
er to educate residents. One
inter-institution collaboration is
the Center for Design
Innovation (CDI), a partnership
between Forsyth Tech, WSSU
and North Carolina School of
the Arts. CDI fosters design
related enterprises in
the Piedmont. WSSU
is also working with
Wake Forest
NanoMediciae
Institute to Piedmont
Triad Research Park.
He said FTCC
and its students are no
stranger to his univer
sity. Since 2001 , near
ly 500 FTCC graduates have
enrolled in WSSU to complete
their education and earn four
year degrees. Those who have
made the transition have been
among the best students at
WSSU, Reaves said.
"Community colleges, and
especially Forsyth Tech, do an
outstanding job in preparing stu
dents to transition to four year
institutions," said Reaves.
Reaves promised to
strengthen the ties between the
two schools. He said both
schools are working to "remove
any and all barriers" that FTCC
Ingram
students have when transferring
to WSSU. He said there's also a
new program in the works that
will enable students to apply and
be admitted simultaneously to
both institutions. He believes
this will eliminate students hav
ing to go through the admissions
process again when they trans
fer.
One graduate who
was a product
of both
schools was
Tasha Ingram.
A nursing
major, she's
been climbing
her ' way up
the education- '
al ladder ax a
certified nurs
ing assistant
at Forsyth
Medical Center.
Nursing programs at col
leges have limited spots and get
ting into them can be a chal
lenge. So Ingram found herself
transferring to FTCC from
WSSU in order to get into a
nursing program. She said it
turned out well and she plans to
eventually get a graduate
degree.
"I followed the path and
that's where 1 was successful at,
and I'm glad I did," said Ingram.
Other graduates had more
unusual paths to graduation,
such as Veronica Paragran who
Para gran
is from New Orleans. She was
ready to go to college several
years ago but Hurricane Katrina
interrupted her dreams. Her
home was left intact by the dev
astating storm but she still felt
the effects. The hotel she
worked at was totaled, as were
the homes of her parents and sis
ter. Her family moved to North
Carolina, where
her father's sister
lives.
"1 came up
here after every
thing, got a job
up here ... got
into the swing of
things. Started
school in spriqg
of '06 (and)
made a commit
ment to geLjt
done," she smHW
She described FTCC a*
"absolutely, positively woncWf
ful." She plans to use her
Associate's Degree in Business
Administration to continue
working in the hotel industry
and pursue a bachelor's degree.
She said she will return to New
Orleans next month.
Even though FTCC had
more than 1 ,000 graduates, only
425 attended the commence
ment. Nearly 2,500 friends and
family members were in the
audience, cheering their loved
ones who walked across the
stage.
t
Mayor Joines, City Officials,
Religious Leaders, Educators and
all Fellow Citizens of Winston-Salem,
f North Carolina,
- ?uit " -? Hpart for thf
v> ? ^
tgious Leaders, -
Fellow Citizens of Winston-.
jrth Carolina,
thank you with all my heart for the birthday party
/ou gave me in Corpening Plaza on April 19, 2008. My
nrit soared to see and hear the singing and dancing and
plifting speeches made in celebrations.
i
? <ul to you all. 1 feel Winston-Salem belongs to
- '?long to Winston- Salem.
cors/irs/iijxiisia
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