Sen Hagan, Martin Luther King III at Commencement
Rocky Mount, N.C.—Two prominent guests—U.S. Senator Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and Martin Luther King III—offered advice to more than 175 participants in North Carolina Wesleyan College’s spring commencement on Saturday, May 1. Speaking at 10 a.m. to a crowd that nearly filled Minges Auditorium of the Dunn Center for the Performing Arts, both Hagan and King challenged students to be the best they can be, to develop their talents, to pursue their dreams without fear of failure, and never to give up.
Speaking first, Hagan advised students to “take a deep breath and go forth, knowing you’ve balanced and multitasked, which should give you confidence in the work world.” There will be challenges, she said. “For those of you who have sent out job applications with little response—many will encounter setbacks, but this is not the time for self-pity and to hang your heads.”
Hagan encouraged graduates, first of all, to decide to be something, then “jump in, cannonball style” and take risks, because “we only regret what we never do,” she said.
“Number two, don’t be afraid to fail,” she said. “It’s the only way innovation can occur. And if you fall, get up. If you get it wrong the first time, do it over again. Never stop trying, reaching for the next step.”
And third, Hagan said, “Don’t stop taking risks.” She encouraged graduates to take on the unknown with knowledge that they might fail. “It requires courage, but don’t be afraid to fail. It’s better to fail if it means we can pick ourselves up and find new challenges.” She asked students to remember advice from poet T.S. Eliot: “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
She advised graduates not to limit their goals and to “take the tougher path.” “Your time at Wesleyan has prepared you well as you move forward,” Hagan said.
Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the late Martin Luther King, Jr. and founder of Realizing the Dream, also spoke to the graduates. “Always work to fulfill your dream, whatever it may be,” he said. “We must find out what our calling is. If it falls your lot to sweep streets, go on to sweep streets like Michelangelo carved marble.” He said, “You’ve just got to be the best at what you are. You must do those jobs so well that neither the living, the dead, or the unborn could do those jobs better. That’s the challenge to all of us.”
King also stressed that everyone can do something. “It may be a graduate of this institution that comes up with a cure for cancer. It may be a graduate of this institution that comes up with a cure for sickle cell (anemia). It may be a graduate of this institution that helps revive our economy. We just don’t know what God is planning for you.”
Awards Presented
Following the commencement addresses, Wesleyan awarded both Hagan and King with an honorary doctor of laws degree in recognition of their achievements and service to humanity. Other awards also were presented. This year’s Exemplary Teacher Award went to Dr. Bill Yankosky, associate professor of mathematics. The President’s Cup Award was presented to graduating senior Elena Pisarik, of Rocky Mount, who majored in accounting and business administration, summa cum laude. The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award went to graduating senior Benjamin Lilley, a mathematics major, summa cum laude, from Jamesville, N.C.
Reception, Baccalaureate, Dinner
Graduating seniors began their weekend festivities on Friday, April 30, with a 5 p.m. reception sponsored by the college’s Alumni Association at the Bellemonte House. The baccalaureate service followed at 6:30 in Minges Auditorium, where Wesleyan Chaplain Rev. Barry P. Drum called upon the seniors to become “doers.” “There is a new spirit of service at Wesleyan,” he said, referring to community work of Wesleyan’s Refuge Club and other groups on campus. He asked the graduates to remember the words of John Wesley and do “all the good you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can.”
Graduating senior Rufus Archer, a religious studies and psychology major, magna cum laude, from Rocky Mount, spoke at the baccalaureate on behalf of fellow seniors. “From the president’s office to the people in the cafeteria, everyone here wants to support you,” he said. “Everyone was kind, generous, and helpful. They were there for us.”
MLK at Senior Dinner
The highlight of Friday evening came during the senior dinner at 7:30 in the Dunn Center’s Garner Lobby, when Martin Luther King III made a brief appearance soon after arriving in Rocky Mount. Cameras flashed throughout the room as he took the podium and told an excited audience: “Everyone has an opportunity in this great nation to achieve a dream that we have.” He said he looked forward to speaking on that subject and more at graduation the next morning. As he made his way to the door, walking through the dinner crowd, he stopped to pose for photos with several students and their families.
Also during the dinner, several graduating seniors told of their successful experiences at Wesleyan, and Michael Pratt, a former Wesleyan graduate and current trustee of the college, went on stage and testified: “Wesleyan works! Education is the key. Wesleyan was a rewarding experience for me. I didn’t know anyone when I came to Wesleyan, and when I left I knew everybody. The further you get away from Wesleyan, the more you realize—Wesleyan changed my life. I hope someday you will be able to get up here and say, ‘Wesleyan changed my life, too.’”
Senior Gift
Each year the senior class makes a gift to the college as a way of making an imprint and leaving a legacy. Joshua Cain, Wesleyan’s director of alumni relations and annual fund, announced that this year’s class gift is an outdoor study area for the library. Cain also announced that an Adult Degree Program Alumni Fund has been established so adult students may give to the Wesleyan site where they studied. Joshua Cain can be reached at jmcain@ncwc.edu or 252-985-5145.
