Charleston Southern University 2021 Commencement

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] do [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] hey bucky ladies and gentlemen step out here and take a bow bucky okay so ladies and gentlemen please stand as the award-winning united states air force rotc detachment 772 posts the colors for today's ceremony [Music] so [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] so so [Music] my [Music] [Applause] do so [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] uh [Music] [Applause] [Music] gentlemen please remove your hats for the invocation today given by trustee larry driggers let us go to the lord in prayer dear god we come to you with thankful hearts thankful for your creation thank you for each graduate who is here today thank you for their family and their support system thank you for all their hard work and dear god i ask that you be with us as we go through the program and be with each graduate as they look toward the future that they might be in your will and your guiding hand might be on their life through god we ask these things in your name amen everyone please be seated and gentlemen you may replace your hats as we begin today's ceremony i would like to recognize the csu commencement band and the concert singers for the music that they've provided the talent that they bring to this ceremony please join with me in expressing your gratitude for their performances on behalf of the faculty and staff of charleston southern university it is an honor to welcome each of you to this commencement ceremony for the class of 2021. you made it to the graduates seated in front of us congratulations on this very special day faced with the challenges of a pandemic some stepped aside but not you the graduates we recognize today persevered embraced the opportunity to learn and are now ready to be recognized for their success as they walk across the stage and accept their degrees the csu faculty and staff are overwhelmed with pride and what you have accomplished over the past 14 months the dedication you have demonstrated is commendable be proud we say well done it is a privilege to introduce to you now dr ken evans chairman of the board of trustees before i welcome you i just wish you could stand here and view what i'm viewing this beautiful field and these beautiful people you look great and i can't wait to see you up close when you come up here but on behalf of the trustees and the south carolina baptist convention i want to welcome our graduates of course their families and guests to this really unique ceremony what a commencement this is this is my first one outside here and i really really like it i hope we do it again i want to recognize a few folks before i speak to our graduates and if you are one of the following please stand and remain standing until we have given you our appreciation first of all if you are an active or retired member of the u.s military any branch please stand don't be shy an active or retired member of law enforcement please remain standing law enforcement first responders i'll see you out there and finally in particular those who have served with courage and dedication during this past year our nurses and other health professionals please rise [Applause] thank you you may be seated [Applause] as dr fish said we know that it has not been easy for you there are many places and times where you may have just said you know what i'm done with this but you didn't say that you didn't do that you kept on you have persevered i love that word it's a good word and you've made good choices you chose to do your best to finish and you have finished and so you're finishing this life chapter well i want you to know that your choices are driven by your beliefs a fellow named roy t bennett said this beliefs are choices first you choose your beliefs and then your beliefs affect your choices now if you were walking up the steps to my front door you would see a little plaque right beside the door that everyone sees when they come to our home and it says this choose this day whom you will serve and then it answers that by saying as for me and my house we will serve the lord and so my prayer for you graduates is this that as you walk through those gates tonight that you will choose and that you will choose to serve the lord for the remainder of your days thank you and god bless you [Applause] would you all please stand for the singing of the hymn lead on o king eternal [Music] the day of march has come and fields my tent shall be our home through days of replication thy grace has made us [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] shall cease [Music] with deeds [Music] you may be seated [Music] [Music] alone [Applause] [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] which is the lord is the lord [Music] [Music] mountains [Music] transformers [Music] is [Music] [Music] great is our god hallelujah singing great is the lord hallelujah great is our god hallelujah shouting great is the lord is the lord [Music] [Applause] [Music] hallelujah [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] shouting thank you very much concert singers now ladies and gentlemen it is my pleasure to introduce to you ms marissa thomas a senior sga member who will speak on behalf of today's graduating class family faculty fellow graduates good evening to all it's crazy to think that we're all here today when just three and a half short years ago we were embarking on a daunting journey as freshman buccaneers none of us could have imagined the spiritual personal and academic growth we were about to experience the second family we were about to gain that growth has not always been easy to come by though it sometimes requires sleepless nights hard conversations or simply faith that god would get us through a class neither could we anticipate the smiling inducing memories nor the unbreakable bonds that we would make with the very people sitting next to us today from classmates to calf workers from professors to staff no one can deny that csu has provided a second home a second family for so many of us here and will truly be missed these last few years may not have been perfect perhaps you started off in the wrong major or spent a year in a wrong relationship or even lost your 4.0 gpa this semester sure all of these situations may seem less than ideal but don't regret the past because as i was told freshman year god's redemption is greater than your perfection that is to say what god what god can do with what seems like a failure in man's eyes is so much greater than if things had gone ideally according to our plans as his children god has been in control of our past guiding our steps each moment until now and will continue to do so as we look forward to the future we must find courage in that and overcome the fear of failure as philippe bernaldi once said courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear the brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all so let us take heart and sail boldly on the next chapter on our lives as buccaneers together forward thank you [Applause] thank you marissa you are a wonderful representative of your class congratulations class of 2021 we are excited that you are here and we know that you would not have gotten here but for your resolve and your perseverance and i thank you for demonstrating the faithfulness that you had in god because god has proven himself faithful over and over and over again thanks to you faculty and staff thank you for doing what you have done the backbreaking work that you have done to make sure that they got here i know this has been a very difficult season of your lives and i can't thank you enough for doing exactly what you had to do to get it done thank you so much i want to thank dr fish and ethel croft in particular and the whole commencement team for doing what you have done to make this very unique commencement ceremonies plural happen and so thank you for all that you've done this is a wonderful sight to be seen as was said and so thank you for what you've done to get us here a thousand details were taken care of and we could not be more grateful thank you class of 2021 i want to introduce you to a man on a mission darren goss senior he's a man on a mission because he's always been a man on a mission he sat and the seat that you're sitting in at wofford university not that long ago as a running back for the football team and god worked in his life in so many ways from that point he was in the army for nine years as a logistician and made miraculous things happen forgotten country in fact uh he he married v and they have a son who is uh serving his country in guam even as we speak and so thank you on behalf of the nation for your own service darren and for the service of your son thank you after the army because as an air force person i can say that the smartest people are those who eventually get out of the army okay after the army he spent a year working of for sunoco until he landed back at wofford university where he directed multicultural affairs and also became an assistant dean of students and it was there that he found his life's calling he found his true mission in life and that is to help other people find the resources so they can do the ministries and the the social work and the community work that they need to do and so from that point he worked in greenville for a while and then became the president and ceo of united way in baton rouge louisiana and then five years ago in 2016 god led him back here well where since then he has been the president and ceo of the coastal community foundation doing that very work here later in the ceremony there will be a more formal recitation of all of his highly impressive accomplishments which will include the fact that he also graduated from a sister institution with a master's degree from north greenville university all of which has gone to inspire him to be the man on the mission that i want all of you to be ladies and gentlemen on a mission for god doing what he has called you to do and so listen closely my prayer for you as darren comes to the stage today is that god would speak to your heart and that darren would simply be the mouthpiece that he uses so that you too can go and live your life as a servant leader leaving a living a purposeful meaningful life and so darren thank you today for blessing us with your presence and with your words god bless you [Applause] thank you dr costin dr evans faculty and staff family and friends we are gathered tonight to congratulate to celebrate to recognize the class of 2021 would you please join me in just giving them another round of applause for their accomplishments [Applause] class of 2021 we share your excitement tonight we honor ourselves by being here with you and we thank you for allowing each of us to share in your celebration i am sure over the last several weeks and days you have spent time walking around this beautiful campus reflecting on the relationships you've built the friendships you've made the faculty and staff that have challenged you encouraged you and molded you into the person you are tonight this is a beautiful night filled with the hope of possibility and yet balanced by what i'm sure is the anxiety of the uncertainty that tomorrow will bring for each one of you this is your night class of 2021 and we celebrate you and all you have accomplished this is also a time in which we readily acknowledge the challenges we have faced together over the last 14 months the global pandemic of covet 19 shut everything down just over a year ago everything changed before march 2020 nobody really used zoom as a matter of fact many of us didn't even know what it was now most of us we zoom or we fellowship with loved ones via zoom or we find ourselves behind these masks not really being able to see who we are to say that life was disrupted is an understatement we had to adapt quickly innovate boldly care deeply because our very lives depended on it and in this moment of reflection and celebration let us remember the hundreds of thousands of lives in this country and the millions of lives around the world that this disease has taken from us the roman philosopher cicero suggests that history is a witness of the times and tonight history testifies to the strength and enduring courage of the graduates for whom we have gathered tonight compounding the current challenge of the pandemic are major challenges any of which would be overwhelming in addition to an ongoing global pandemic we face a global environmental crisis a more partisan and polarizing political landscape ongoing economic uncertainty a national movement for social justice and racial equity a world in crisis our country at a crossroads and communities that yearn to be connected across race across class and across social standing these are the conditions in which you find yourselves tonight and yet class of 2021 i have hope i have hope because you are here i have hope because of what you have accomplished i have hope because of who you are as people you are graduating from one of the best institutions in the country with the distinction of integrating your faith in learning and leading and and serving i find hope in you your charge tonight is not the normal charge to go out and make as much money as you can your charge is not to go out and find the biggest title you can or to sit in the highest places you can your charge is to help the communities in which you will live become the beloved community your charge is to continue to learn to lead and to serve your charge is to build inclusive communities and equitable communities transforming the communities of men into the kingdom of god by your very presence class of 2021 you are a strong witness to the goodness of god a powerful reminder of to all of us of his grace your reflection of his glory a demonstration of his power a witness to his mercy your strength of character and commitment to excellence has brought you to this point and tonight class of 2021 you are standing in open doors there are over 500 of you tonight sitting in this stadium and each of you have your own door to walk through some of you are walking through the door of education and empathy you'll be educating children counseling with families promoting good health and even planning great churches others through doors of industry and innovation among you are business leaders that will create companies that will provide opportunity for upward mobility with an emphasis on equity in this class are entrepreneurs who will create innovative solutions to stubborn problems there are accountants applied mathematicians biochemists and biologists you just heard from a future doctor all walking through open doors there are doors of compassion and comfort in this stadium we have pastors that will preach the gospel of christ with conviction psychologists and musical therapists who will with the gentleness of christ minister the hearts of people in this broken world if there are scales of justice then there are also doors of justice some of you will walk through those doors and become attorneys judges police and prosecutors who understand that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere there are doors everywhere all kinds of doors mothers and fathers you will open doors for your children scientists and doctors nurses and neurosurgeons more doors who knows even one of you might walk through the same door i walk through every day at 1691 turnbull avenue in north charleston and be the next ceo of the coastal community foundation but class of 2021 there is one more door i must mention and all the wonderful things you will do and all the doors to which you will pass please remember that there is now open to you a great door for effective service the apostle paul who understands a thing or two about balancing the labor of work with the call to serve speaks to the concept of a great door to effective service and tonight i want to remind you that your education here at csu has not just been about integrating your faith and learning it was not just about faithful leadership but it is also about faithful service what is open to you tonight and for the rest of your life is a great door to effective service effective service is the integration of your faith in everything you do all you will become bringing glory and honor to the kingdom of god be a strong being as strong and living witness for christ i submit that when you walk through the door of your first job or your first home the door to your boss's office the door to your very own business the great door of effective service is always there unseen as it may be it is there even in the face of adversities it is there class of 2021 walk through that door so how then do you serve effectively how do you serve in a way that honors god you serve with faith with compassion you serve with humility with perseverance you serve with hope with dignity you serve with pride class of 2021 marched through that door and serve when you are strong and still when you are weak knowing that his strength is made perfect in weakness class of 2021 tonight run through that door and serve with excellence serve with resilience and readiness serve with courage and honor serve with character and conviction serve with joy but most of all let's serve one another with love thank you class of 2021 congratulations tonight [Applause] thank you darren thank you for your inspirational words but more than that thank you for the example that you provide every single day because you live your life exactly the way you challenged us to live ours and i pray that god would have each of us do exactly what he just said thank you each year during the annual student awards day ceremony special awards are provided to outstanding students when i call your name please stand and be recognized the john berry christian scholar award established in 1968 is presented to the graduating senior of charleston southern university who has achieved distinction academically and who in the judgment of the faculty evidences the most promised for future scholarship we are happy to present this award to dara bailey watts congratulations the hunter cup is presented to a member of the graduating class who has best served the university and whose character scholarship and athletic ability are deemed outstanding we are pleased to present this award to taylor lindsey barnes congratulations [Applause] the carolyn killen hunter outstanding christian teacher endowed scholarship is given in recognition of the christian student who most exemplifies the school of education's vision of a competent caring and committed teacher the recipient must be a professing christian who is active in church and must possess an overall gpa of 3.0 on a minimum of 60 hours earned at charleston southern congratulations to this year's recipient selena marie stack congratulations for dr nancy barons please join me at the podium in recognition of superior professionalism and excellence and by order of the board of trustees i am honored to award the rank of professor emeritus of english to dr nancy barrons this first day of may 2021 [Applause] congratulations [Applause] with dr pam peak please join me at the podium in recognition of superior professionalism and excellence and by order of the board of trustees i am honored to award the rank of professor emeritus of spanish to dr pam peak this first day of may 2021 congratulations would professor thomas keating join me at the podium is my pleasure to recognize the winner of the 2021 excellence in teaching award professor of theater thomas keating who was selected by csu students and his colleagues professor keating has been recognized by the south carolina independent colleges universities for his dedication to academic excellence here at csu congratulations professor keating i got i just have to say that uh despite my uh egging him on dr fish one because i encouraged him as he came in with the mace at the 10-yard line to act like he was a drum major but he refused [Applause] now is the time we've all been waiting for graduates the future is yours as you heard already there are more than 500 students ready to walk across the stage receive their degrees and become csu alumni first however let's recognize all the parents spouses children and others who have supported these students throughout the time they have spent learning their degrees students and faculty will you please join with me in a round of applause for the families and friends who are here to support you today to the csu faculty the knowledge you have shared the difficulties of teaching online and in person simultaneously along with the day-to-day challenges coveted brought to our campus have so well been managed by each of you csu faculty and staff please stand and be recognized for your dedication to making sure these graduates were able to celebrate this milestone today [Applause] thank you it is indeed a day of celebration of on what only god can do for the presentation of the degrees each group of students will be asked to stand and will be presented to the president for degree conferral please use this time to cheer and celebrate for your students these students have worked so hard for these degrees and we certainly want them to hear their names called when the last member of each group has returned to the field there will be another short time of celebration before we move to the next graduates class of 2021 here are your instructions you will be recognized by your degree when your group is called please stand for dr costen to confer your degrees when dr coston concludes the announcement please move your tassel to the left the first roll of graduates will proceed to the stage and the remaining groups may sit until it's time for you to make the march to the to the stage the announcer will call your name dr costan will present your diploma pause for excuse me pause for a photo please don't pick up dr costin and swing him around don't hug him you know an air a fist bump today will be great for everybody the marshals will assist you move across the stage after you get your diploma stop down here have your photo made again and then proceed over to where you will receive a csu bible graduation bible and a csu alumni gift return to your row and remain standing until everyone in your row has returned and then you may be seated all right let's get underway bachelor of technology degree will the candidate for the bachelor of technology degree please stand mr president the candidate who stands before you has met all of the requirements for the degree bachelor of technology and is recommended by the faculty to receive that degree by by the authority vested by the state of south carolina and the board of trustees at charleston southern university and by the board delegating that authority to me i confer upon you the degree bachelor of technology with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto congratulations congratulations please change your tassel move to the steps present your name card to the announcers and proceed to meet dr costum for your degree forgot megan bria carol [Applause] congratulations will the candidates for the bachelor of arts degree please stand mr president the candidates who stand before you have met all of the requirements for the degree bachelor of arts and are recommended by the faculty to receive that degree by the authority vested by the state of south carolina and the board of trustees at charleston southern university and by the board delegating that authority to me i confer upon each of you the degree bachelor of arts with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto congratulations graduates please change your tassel and move to the steps present your name card to the announcers and then proceed to dr costume for your degree rachel elizabeth banks ivory barnett summa laude jordan black benjamin james black honors program graduate summa laude sydney brown kennedy lauren burks anna covington cody coxwell johnny lee davis iv joseph dees matthew derek summa loud trevor domini aaron elizabeth fail summa laude benjamin gary file summa laude bryson jermaine martese fulmer corey gant sumacum loud madeleine ester goddard lindsay gene gray loud dasha linnae elaine green loud shelby hadden bridget harris alyssa ann heinrich loud jonathan luke hernandez loud taryn tyler hicks magna laude aubrey bonay holden ashley holweger loud erica holland hughes magna laude matthew inman lyric mahogany jenkins lindsey jester loud ashland margaret johnson octavian johnson james jordan jr brooke ashley larson jackson donald lethco anna claire clairlette autumn ray graham lippert loud jacob litton grace claire marshall magna laude victoria ann maxwell anthony maurice mccall jr [Applause] davion jerome mcdaniel contrella marcela miller loud melvin m mitchell rhys nix [Applause] zachary austin pace michaela gabrielle parker magna laude joshua drew paris taylor alyssa peek summa loud jarrell josiah peters zachary nathaniel randall emily nicole rojas [Music] martina roy caitlin russell victoria lee salway ethan c schrock magna laude khadijah alexandria shine loud ethan shawn schuler rebecca ann simmons loud emma slavin loud daniel stuffy loud kylie ann sturchy nathan paul strack haley stratton coom loud laura patricia tripp loud john patrick alexander usri aaron ruth fanak summa laud [Applause] margaret wallace magna laude heather elizabeth way olivia lee white summa loud [Applause] lee alton willie loud seth grant knobs wolf ashley denise zimmerman yes all right folks a round of applause all right ladies and gentlemen would the candidates for the bachelor of science in nursing degree please stand mr president the candidates who stand before you have met all the requirements for the degree bachelor of science in nursing and are recommended by the faculty to receive that degree by the authority vested by the state of south carolina and the board of trustees at charleston southern university and by the board delegating that authority to me i confer upon each of you the degree bachelor of science in nursing with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto congratulations please change your tassel and move forward to the steps please join with me in congratulating these graduates while they make their way up here for that hard-earned degree elizabeth hope albrecht loud lydia ayers carly deanne bedell kayla marie bettencourt kylie renee bibler valerie trujella boast zakiyah brinson alyssa ray carroll loud reginald bruce chesson magna laude debbie jenkins collins loud marlene contreras summa laude shawna c davis savannah fairchild madison lee fisher taylor jessica gray teresa maria hanley hannah marie herrmann summa loud mackenzie lynn justice abby grace keller jessica ketchum honors program graduate magna laude savannah marie kingery magna laude cameron diane kraszewski loud sydney raven link loud [Music] megan alyssa lohman suzanne penelope macarthur [Music] caitlin patricia mead nina rose murchison dylan murphy loud tiara chantrys nick rachel michelle britton o'quinn alyssa ott loud autumn terry phillips magna laude bailey catherine pratt summa loud jonathan w rabelais magna laude christine wren come loud jessie riley anna marie ringer magna laude marissa caitlin roy grace shyvanaveldt honors program graduate loud journey t simpson brown loud robert sisk coom loud latoya sherelle stevens annelise celeste taggart noah thomas magna laude cecanius [Music] alyssa lynn wander loud nathan murray way summa loud christopher hunter wilson all right another round of applause for our new nurses will the candidates for the bachelor of business administration please stand mr president the candidates who stand before you have met all the requirements for the degree of bachelor of business administration and are recommended by the faculty to receive that degree by the authority vested by the state of south carolina and the board of trustees at charleston southern university and by the board delegating that authority to me i confer upon each of you the degree bachelor of business administration with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto congratulations all right please change your tassel and proceed to the stage to present your name to the readers please anna adamian lauren nicole anderson martin samuel bayer harold edward boatwright emily joanne bonson jacob brown aaron allen chavis savannah lauren coxwell daniel [Music] david leon darby ii rachel denise davis honors program graduate summa laude davis deal brooklyn taylor that pace philandrus fleming jr jamie neil domini daniel dumont magna laude dunbar rebecca k edwards magna laude okay elijah fields sarah jean fleming cumwad matthew franz fressel claire glauser john bradley glsen aaron mcraven hargett emma luis hazen summa laude kevin caesar jakes rizza rose reagan ashley johnson summa wod cameron scott jones mitchell hunter jordan lance carlisle canard sydney grace canard summa laude alexander clayton king kumwad kyle matthew lettingham adelaide grace lovelady summa laude ariana brittany mill justin mcintyre laude destiny mckeevy jenna mitchum mckenzie montana sarah knight nali magna laude madison inn newsom austin perry summa laude michaela rose repki magna laude amanda saban summa michelle schmitz magna laude matthew adam shelton rose m smallsbash benjamin scott turner katrina webster carmella walker on stage already tamara a wharton kumwad all right a final hand for the bba graduates will the candidates for the bachelor of science degree please stand [Applause] mr president the candidates who stand before you have met all the requirements for the degree bachelor of science and are recommended by the faculty to receive that degree by the authority vested by the state of south carolina and the board of trustees at charleston southern university and by the board delegating that authority to me i confer upon each of you the degree bachelor of science with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto congratulations please change your tassel and move forward to receive your degrees um kenneth alfieri magna serena may allison william lee amos ii alzan amparo genesis r anderson payton nicole arnold laurie ashbaugh amaya marshay ballinger juliana l barbatia magna laude taylor barnes honors program graduate summa laude avery dana beaumont summa laude samantha bellino magna laude joseph bertuglia teresa and bill's back magna laude ryan trinice bing laude courtney elizabeth blair brianna blue martin shatasia booker laude zachary m boyd brianna janelle bradley the line ribeiro bergansa sarah brown laude solomon brown kristen marisha bruckner kimberly alexis andrea domingo buenas aries aaron adele burke summa laude annie mariah butler laude jana marie butler brandon xavier bird rebecca g cahill laude steven mario castro marvin roy chandler the third nian tu yet ciao stephen austin chavis kristin grace chestnut laude caitlyn klamp holly marie clark magna laude tamisha sherelle clements magna laude stephanie marie connor laude juliana cook laude richard victor corbett magna laude michael cox diane dorothy crawford summa laude tegan shayna crosby summa laude cameron cross tamara damianovic laude pamela day summa laude kylie doster magna laude emily rose dumont magna laude hannah durham laude abigail grace duterte laude jonathan benton earl thomas matthew elijah shelly lee elliott summa laude jacqueline antonia emmond magna laude richard esposito summa laude megan fennell laude james floyd cumlauti marcel foster shaliah marcel francis [Music] melinda and franklin michael dillon freeman magna laude rachel zeeman futch amanda nicole gabbard megan natalie gagliano tremaine gilbert julia fay george ashton marie jamona magna laude michaela ann gillit laude jennifer goodwin ashley christine goodyear magna laude madison brianna graham summa laude allison nicole hair laude harris kalyn marie harder benjamin lawton ellis hendricks sarah hendricks crystal hernandez [Music] caitlin rose hicks laude paige hilliard laude ryan lee henson laude savannah l hinsman summa laude peyton jaworski laude morgan win jeffcoat laude elizabeth faith johnson honors program graduate laude jasmine shaunice johnson laude torrey johnson jennifer melissa johnston hannah jones laude madison jones aaron justice summa laude bryce justice summa laude matthew jordan keller summa laude julia tyler kirk cumlauti madison marie koeger magna laude marie langdon laude caitlyn elizabeth lee laude nairobi adante levane sean a lindsey laude hannah litchfield magna laude andrew lynch shay eiler wendy sumiye lynch magna laude samantha maydak summa laude abigail elizabeth marshall laude zaria maxwell nicolette mazzique christopher michael mcclure john ryan mccormick summa laude laura mcdonald magna laude laura danielle mcgrew cumin loudly caroline marie mcclellan magna laude chandler brooke meadows marcus andrew melvin leslie meyer katie ann miller honors program graduate summa laude noah alfred miller allison nicole mims ethan arizona mitchell summa laude tristan annette moffitt magna noah david morgan magna laude clarence moss the fourth mark allen knightsall desiree nelson amber nicole newland cumulative denise allison nobley laude haley noel noble edgardo oliveira's junior magna laude caitlin onstadt magna laude matthew lucas parks laude brianna williams paris debbie patel mckenna renee perkins taylor nicholas perry stefan raquan pickett tamara pinckney brian porter laude devon zavion preston robert blair price the third reid raider ball laude ashley brienne ramsey magna laude natalie reynolds summa laude hannah d ridgeway laude jennifer louise ring eisen laudi cherise alicia robinson juliana sarah robinson magna laude kayla janae robinson brianna lynn saturday summa laude nathaniel asher schroeder william langley ira shu madison elizabeth shipman giovanni simmons isaiah amir singleton [Music] chandler paige skaggs jasmine orianna smalls shelby smith dakota snyder jasmine sparrow olivia staley melissa staley finish tiara lornia steed lykira still summa cum-laudi caroline stein magna laude hannah stern joshua edward sullins megan ryan sullivan jillian elise swindler christine elizabeth sylvester laude kyle douglas cyborg laude miranda taylor summa laude marissa ginseng thomas honors program graduate laude andrew gamble thompson jr summa laude fernanda vieira tilly laude brian nicholas basco magna laude elizabeth venable summa laude melody lynn burkeens brendan mikhail bequez corinthia marie walker lydia catherine walker paul damon washington dara bailey watts honors program graduate summa cumlaudi a lance weisinger victoria west laude holland whitley magna laude shay brienne wiggington laude cassidy diane wilder summa laude angela marie wiley laude anton raniel williams lariana joe williams summa laude macy logan wingate keon winston laude faith writing laude matthew yanzer magna laude one f yata isaiah mikhail york gabriela zapata all right congratulations one more time for the bachelor of science degree graduates [Applause] will the candidates for the master of education degree please stand mr president the candidates who stand before you have met all the requirements for the degree of master of education and are recommended by the faculty to receive that degree by the authority vested by the state of south carolina and the board of trustees at charleston southern university and by the board delegating that authority to me i confer upon each of you the degree master of education with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto congratulations [Applause] please change your tassel and come [Music] forward mba all right also with the master's degree in business administration please stand [Applause] dr costa and the candidates who stand before you have met all the requirements for the degree master of business administration and are recommended by the faculty to receive that degree by the authority vested by the state of south carolina and the board of trustees at charleston southern university and by the board delegating that authority to me i confer upon each of you the degree master of business administration with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto congratulations [Applause] will the candidates for the master of arts in organizational leadership please stand mr president the candidates who stand before you have met all the requirements for the degree of master of arts and organizational leadership and are recommended by the faculty to receive that degree by the authority vested by the state of south carolina and the board of trustees at charleston southern university and by the board delegating that authority to me i confer upon each of you the degree master of arts and leadership with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto congratulations all right please turn your tassel and join the line we're going to recognize all of the graduate degrees at one time tonight with the mat will the candidates for the master of science degree please stand these students have completed graduate degrees in computer science criminal justice nursing and clinical counseling mr president the candidates who stand before you have met all the requirements for the degree of master of science and are recommended by the faculty to receive that degree by the authority vested by the state of south carolina in the board of trustees at charleston southern university and by the board delegating that authority to me i confer upon each of you the degree master of science with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto congratulations all right please change your tassel join the line [Applause] the candidates for the master of athletic training please stand mr president the candidates who stand before you have met all the requirements for the degree of masters of athletic training and are recommended by the faculty to receive that degree by the authority vested by the state of south carolina and the board of trustees at charleston southern university and by the board delegating that authority to me i confer upon each of you the degree master of athletic training with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto congratulations all right please turn your tassel join the line and we'll start with the first person in our masters degree awards brittany marie benjamin kevin gregory butler and he's also my husband dustin z foster samantha beattie jones willie mcrae corey prentice catherine suzanne zeiss liz l lazasco got it i'm jed akasha corey tyler hall john payton holdsworth [Music] jeffrey scott golden meredith blaine hulsey jenna danae shelton johnson sean david marker jennifer irene metzger emmanuel indiocco jeremy j raymond joshua a rogers christopher rogers micah stretcher angelica marie tabor luciana m torky lauren willard monica bates wolverton dennis j sayasan rachel lee coker britney janae watkins anna catherine webster asia lynn richards amy megan york alyssa danielle adrian valencia tiana burnett megan charity callaway jake carter jamal miguel chavoose lawana giselle dawson cabria alicia drummond adam anthony dunaway seth moore duncan elizabeth ann exum brittany god nehemiah hardin yolanda patrice howard allison marissa huggins mercedes seppora jackson allen newell kelly jr stephanie kelly jordan richard matthew crutch vinard kumar brichay tonay antoinette yvonne crawford minus kaylee locker timothy d murray kevin r sanders cheryl allison simpson thomas d slack bethany aaron thornhill jeffrey lamar tisdale rebecca bevins tomlinson erica margaret v door jamie elizabeth washington kelsa marie washington daron christopher williams aaron wheeler ziegler emma faith cornell devin alexis galloway kirsten l owen oh how about one more round of applause for all those who've received master's degrees tonight all of your hard work has paid off congratulations to you now we recognize our guest speaker we're going to present an honorary doctorate of public service to darren goss senior i would ask mr goss if you would please stand hear these words charleston southern university wishes to recognize those who have provided outstanding leadership in service to their church community and nation and whereas the university applauds mr goss for his leadership in service as president and ceo of the coastal community foundation in which position he grew the asset to the foundation from 224 million dollars to 347 million dollars in five years and created the community partnership campaign which provides more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars in support of the foundation community's leadership initiatives he raised two point four million dollars for the foundation management endowment and secured an additional 1.6 million dollars in matching funds for a total of four million dollars to support operations and initiatives and secured a 2.7 million dollar gift that allowed the foundation to purchase its permanent home a sixteen thousand square foot facility that also houses key non-profit organizations and whereas the university applauds mr goss for his leadership in service as prior president and ceo of the baton rouge capital area united way whereas the university applauds mr goss for his nine years of service in the united states army where he earned the rank of captain whereas mr goss has earned distinction through numerous educational and professional venues including earning a bachelor of science in psychology at wofford college attending the strategic perspectives and nonprofit management program of the harvard business school earning a master of christian ministries at north greenville university attending the combined armed services and staff school while in the army earning a liberty fellowship and completing the riley diversity leadership institute and whereas university applauds mr goss for his extraordinary accomplishments and leadership including among many accolades winning the inaugural trust foundation promise award from the southeastern council of foundations in 2020 and services as a member of the dominion energy environmental justice advisory committee in 2021 elected as one of greenville's best and brightest in 2010 2010 and 2011 and as the winner of the spartanburg chamber of commerce minority business advocate of the year award in 2007. mr goss was also awarded the mentor of the year award by the greenville technical college trio program in 2012. whereas mr goss and his family are active members of destiny worship center a southern baptist church in north charleston south carolina now therefore be it resolved that charleston southern university on this first day of may 2021 presents this honorary doctorate of public service degree in recognition and appreciation of darren goss senior please join me in congratulating dr darren goss [Applause] [Applause] at this time we get to witness one of the greatest things that we will witness all evening and that's the commissioning of two lieutenants in to the united states air force would lieutenant colonel rose loveless please come to the podium first of all let me begin by saying congratulations to all the graduates your hard work and dedication has paid off and i sincerely wish you the best in all of your endeavors in the military's vernacular i say to yahuwah and bravo zulu for all my navy friends will giulio dimaggio and isaiah singleton please make your way to the [Applause] stage for you who are football enthusiasts you may have watched a portion of the nfl draft this week it's a culminating event where all star athletes are called up from the collegiate level to the professional level to showcase their talent for a new team well today i am happy to announce that we have two all-star cadets who are called up from the collegiate level to the professional level to showcase their talents for team united states air force these all-star cadets have persevered through and completed the rigors of a four-year program designed to produce quality officers officers for the world's greatest air force today cadets julio dimaggio and isaiah singleton would do what less than one percent of the american population is both qualified and volunteers to do and that is serve as an officer in our nation's military over the course of the rotc program they have have exemplified integrity first service before self and excellence in all that we do these are the core values of the united states air force and as such they have earned the privilege to be commissioned as second lieutenants in the united states air force and i will issue to them the oath of office air force do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which i'm about to enter so help me god [Applause] charleston southern graduates we want to recognize you for all the service and the honors that you have received during your time at charleston southern university thank you for making a difference while you are here at csu audience and graduates just a quick announcement before we conclude our ceremony i'd just like for you not to be caught off guard but there will be fireworks before our students recess so no surprises all right audience and graduates if you will please stand and join us for the alma mater and our benediction led by reverend tom clemons so [Music] so so [Music] ah would you join me in a word of prayer first lord we thank you and praise you for such a beautiful evening thank you lord for this wonderful graduation father we thank you for what we have just witnessed tonight the culmination of many years of hard work sleepless nights difficult semesters many prayers and tears and that's just for the parents and professors of our graduates oh lord we also thank you for all the work that our graduates have accomplished and lord we are confident that they are prepared to be servant leaders who will each pursue a significant life for your glory and the good of others lord help them to daily remember that they belong to jesus christ and may they all be joyful ambassadors of his kingdom wherever you call them to serve and now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy to the only god our savior through jesus christ our lord be glory majesty dominion and authority before all time and now and forever and all god's people said [Music] amen [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] so [Music] [Applause] so [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] what's up all right ladies and gentlemen thank you very much for coming to the ceremony tonight i would ask that you please exit the stadium and please meet your graduates out in the parking areas we're going to have to start striking the equipment just as soon as the ceremony is over so please meet your graduates out in the parking areas graduates please stand let's get ready to go [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so so [Music] so [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] hey [Applause] thank you you

Channel: Charleston Southern

Views: 5,959

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: CSU, Charleston Southern University, College Life, Charleston, South Carolina

Id: b8-6YkNhlJk

Length: 178min 40sec (10720 seconds)

Published: Sat May 01 2021