2012 Spring Commencement Ceremony Highlights -- Graduate School of the College of Charleston

A record number of graduates walked across the stage of the TD Arena today as the Graduate School of the College of Charleston held the spring commencement ceremony.

Commencement speaker Richard Wilkerson told the Class of 2012 that one of the most important things they can do in their future career is to show respect for others.

"Show respect to everyone you work with no matter how they behave," said Wilkerson, the retired Chairman and President of Michelin North America.

During his three-year tenure as chairman and president, Wilkerson was responsible for the financial results and coordination of all operations of the Michelin Group in North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) and was chairman of the internal executive board for this geographic zone. He was also a member of the worldwide executive board of the Michelin Group.

A total of 160 students crossed the stage during the ceremony. This is the largest graduation class ever for the Graduate School of the College of Charleston.

"More people than ever before are seeking a master's degree," says Amy McCandless, dean of the Graduate School. "Since 2009, we've had record numbers of applications and we attribute this to the state of the economy, more jobs than ever before requiring a master's degree, and an increase in our recruitment efforts. With the growth of programs like the M.A.T. in Teaching, Learning, and Advocacy, we expect to continue to see large numbers of graduates."

• Category

  Education