SUS campuses hold 2016 spring commencements, honor top grads
United States Congressman Cedric Richmond delivered the commencement address for Southern University Baton Rouge’s spring commencement exercises Friday, May 13, 2016, in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
Pictured above right:
Arnedia K. Wallace of Dubberly, Louisiana was chief student marshal for Southern University Baton Rouge's 2016 Spring Commencement exercises, Friday, May 13, 2016, in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
The chief student marshal was Arnedia K. Wallace, with a cumulative grade point average of 4.0. She was a political science major from Dubberly, Louisiana.
United States Congressman Cedric Richmond delivered the commencement address. Congressman Richmond represents Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.
The University awarded posthumous undergraduate degrees to Lashuntae Benton and Annette January. Benton was awarded a degree in therapeutic recreation and leisure studies, and January was awarded a degree in business management.
SUBR Naval ROTC Midshipman 1st Class Nsombi Roberts received her bachelor of science degree in chemistry, and is the first African-American woman from a Naval ROTC program to be selected into the Nuclear Submarine Pipeline training program.
Baton Rouge native, local businessman, and former state representative Joseph A. Delpit, and Congressman Richmond, were each awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the annual spring graduation exercises.
SUNO Spring 2016 summa cum laude graduates at commencement May 7, 2016 at UNO Lakefront Arena (from left) Lakaley Melissa Tillery, Jana Reininghaus, Jesse Drew Roger, Stephanie Buhl, and top graduate Samuel Okpechi.
Pictured above right:
SU System President-Chancellor Ray L. Belton hoods Gov. John Bel Edwards as SUNO Chancellor Victor Ukpolo presents the governor with a doctor of humanities honorary degree during SUNO’s commencement May, 7, 2016, at the UNO Lakefront Arena. Southern University New Orleans awarded 514 degrees Saturday, May 7, 2016, during its spring commencement exercises at the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena.
Governor John Bel Edwards gave the commencement address. Following his brief remarks, the Governor received a hood and a doctor of humanities honorary degree from Southern University President-Chancellor Ray L. Belton and SUNO Chancellor Victor Ukpolo.
The 2016 Class consisted of 66 honor graduates: five suma cum Laude, 16 magna cum laude, 40 cum laude, and five honors. Biology and pre-med major Samuel Okpechi
graduated with the highest grade-point average of 3.937. The other summa cum laude graduates are Stephanie Buhl (3.930), Jesse Drew Roger (3.898), Jana Reininghaus (3.881) and Lakaley Melissa Tillery (3.855).
After leading SUNO for 10 years, Chancellor Ukpolo presided over his last sommencement. He will step down as Chancellor on June 30.
Pictured
above left:
Southern University Shreveport Chancellor Rodney Ellis with 2016 Spring Commencement speaker Bernice King, May 3, 2016, at the Shreveport Convention Center.
Pictured above right:
Southern University Shreveport Chancellor Rodney Ellis gives diploma to chief student marshal Anthony Rounds II at 2016 Spring Commencement in the Shreveport Convention Center, May 3, 2016. Rosetta Jones, SUSLA vice chancellor for academic and student affairs looks on.
Southern University Shreveport, May 3, 2016, hosted its Spring 2016 Commencement Exercises at the Shreveport Convention Center.
Bernice King, daughter of the late Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and chief executive officer of The King Center, which was founded by her mother in 1968, served as the commencement speaker.
Her address to graduates was centered around making good use of time we’re given.
She encouraged students to give back to SUSLA.
The University recognized chief student marshal, and the first graduate from a 100 percent online program. Anthony Rounds II earned a 4.0 GPA while pursuing an associate of applied science degree in criminal justice administration. A Shreveport native, Rounds graduated from Southwood High School in 2011.
He plans to immediately join the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department and continue his studies as an online student at Northwestern State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal Justice.
Nicole Ester-Capers is the first student to graduate from the SUSLA online program in business management. Ester-Capers, also a Shreveport native, graduated from Northwood High School and pursued a career in the United States Navy at which time she started her college career studying accounting and business.
After returning to Shreveport, Ester-Capers continued her education and started working for the City of Shreveport and is currently the grant goordinator for the Shreveport Police Department.
During the 2016 Spring Commencement Exercises, 305 degrees, certificates and technical diplomas were conferred to include completers for Summer 2015, Fall 2015, and Spring 2016.
Pictured
at the Southern University Commencement, May 7, 2016, in the F.G. Clark
Activity Center are (from left) Governor John Bel Edwards, 2016 SULC
commencement speaker; Edward Larvadain, Class of 1966, a Golden Alumnus;
top students, Evening Division, Elizabeth O’Quin of Prairieville,
Louisiana, and Day Division Rachal Cox of Benton, Louisiana; outgoing
SBA president and member of the Louisiana Board of Regents Patrick J
Harrington of Benton, Louisiana; and Chancellor John K. Pierre.In congratulating the more than 150 graduates of the Southern University Law Center at the May 7, 2016 Commencement, Governor John Bel Edwards stated that he is sure that they are going to make the "great state of Louisiana and the world even greater.”
The 154 SULC graduates included 36 honor graduates (seven magna cum laude and 29 cum laude). The top students are Day Division, Rachal D. Cox of Bossier City, Louisiana, and Evening Division, Elizabeth O'Quin of Prairieville, Louisiana. Courtney N. Harris of Shreveport, Louisiana, earned a dual degree JD/MPA; Amy Anazia of McComb, Mississippi; and JaQuay Jackson Gray of Lake Charles, Louisiana, both earned a Public Law Certificate.
It was the first commencement presided over by the newly appointed Chancellor John K. Pierre.
Alexandria, Louisiana, attorney Edward Larvadain, SULC Class of 1966, represented the newest members to the ranks of Golden Alumni.