A-State Graduates More Than 1,500 During 2019 Ceremony
JONESBORO – Chancellor Kelly Damphousse conferred more than 1,500 diplomas to graduates of Arkansas State University during the 2019 fall commencement ceremony Saturday morning at the First National Bank Arena on the A-State campus.
“While you may be nervous about what you will do when you leave the A-State comfort zone, I hope that you know what your professors and I know about you. A-State has changed you since you first arrived on campus. You are now ready to find your way when you leave our campus today,” Damphousse told the group.
“While you certainly learned facts and theories about how the world around us works, you also learned lessons that I hope will inspire you to the end of your days. You learned how to critically think, how to think about the world and understand the rapidly changing nature of our world. You developed a love for learning beyond just memorizing for a test and, finally, you developed a passion for others who are less fortunate than you.”
Damphousse encouraged the students to act on these values, rather than just saying the words.
Graduates from seven colleges including Agriculture, Neil Griffin College of Business, Education and Behavioral Science, Engineering and Computer Science, Liberal Arts and Communication, Nursing and Health Professions, and Sciences and Mathematics, along with Undergraduate Studies, were awarded doctorate, specialist, master, bachelor and associate degrees.
Dr. Cherisse Jones-Branch, the James and Wanda Lee Vaughn Professor of History, addressed the gathering on behalf of the A-State faculty. She is the winner of the Faculty Achievement Award for Professional Service for 2019.
“I applaud you because you made it through the end of a very long and sometimes difficult journey,” said Jones-Branch. “You have compromised and sacrificed much and today you can revel in your accomplishments. You have emerged victorious.”
Speaking on behalf of the graduating students was Sierra Cottrell from Grapevine. Cottrell graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree. She is a four-time member of the Chancellor’s List.
Cottrell spoke about what it takes for a student to endure pursuing a college degree.
“You have shown great courage by not throwing in the towel,” she said. “Your entire collegiate experience has been a testimony of endurance. You have earned this degree. You had to sacrifice your time, sleep, finances, even relationships to earn this degree. You have not earned this degree because it was easy. You earned this degree because of endurance.”
