 Good afternoon and welcome to NCSSM's 43rd Convocation Ceremony. It is my pleasure now to introduce Jakari Bryant, who will be leading us in the singing of the National Anthem. Following the National Anthem, Veronica Quiet will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Please rise and join if you are able. At the twilight's last brush dried high stars through hearts we watched were so gallant. Please join me in saying the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And now we will have a greeting from Chancellor Roberts. Good afternoon. I want to welcome everyone to the 43rd Convocation for the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Convocation ceremonially signals the beginning of the school year. We're very happy to have everyone in the classes of 2023 and 2024 and our residential and online programs here this afternoon. As we begin, what's going to be an amazing year and one that is unique in our school's history. Thank you Jakari and Veronica for getting us off to a great start. This year we not only have students on campus in Durham and across the state in our online program but we also have students in our very first class on campus in Morganton. I'm so excited to have all of our residential students on our campuses and I look forward to seeing many of our online students soon at our first online weekend. I'm looking forward to working with you all as we together search for and enjoy the many opportunities we have to make this a fantastic year. And I only want to thank all of our students for being here this afternoon but also our faculty and staff, as well as our families and guests who joined us for this virtual part of our Convocation. For all of you, all of you done so much and given so much to make this opportunity of this school year possible for students assembled today and on behalf of all of us and them, I thank you. And I want to take the opportunity to welcome and thank our alumni Convocation speaker Dr. Tanya Smith Jackson. Dr. Smith Jackson is a member of NCSS is very first graduating class in 1982. She celebrates her 40th NCSS in reunion this year, we could not be more fortunate to have her welcome all of you and those students in the class of the very first class at NCSS in Morganton. It's kind of full circle for Dr. Smith Jackson. She's an accomplished scholar and leader who's currently serves as the provost at North Carolina at State University, and she was one of those 150 16 year old pioneers who moved into NCSS and 43 years ago, and has continued to be a leader throughout her distinguished career. Dr. Smith Jackson's passion for NCSS and is common is common in those who've come before you. Each student here today should know that more than 12,000 alumni have preceded you. And that they compose a worldwide community supporting one another lifelong. They're also very much still connected with the school invested in supporting your experience at NCSS and today, whether it's helping juniors move in as they did last week in Morganton, or serving as mentors formal informal are making financial gifts to the NCSS and foundation which support what you do each day. Each of our students here should know that you're now part of this amazing network and support system and always will be. I'm thrilled that each year we get to start with an address from an outstanding alumnus. I'm looking forward to Dr. Smith Jackson sharing her story and insights with us today through her story inspiring you as you continue to write yours this year. Each school year we have the chance to write the next chapter in the NCSS M story. We can all look forward to the many possibilities and New Year brings just as the many classes before you have. So now, here you all are the newly 1300 students of the classes of 2023 and 2024 about to bark on embark on a year where your story in many ways will be like no other. And what is true for all of you whether you're a student in the more on the Morganton campus, helping to lay the foundation for the classes of students who will follow you, or the juniors and seniors here in Durham who will we hope enjoy the most normal school year in the past four years. With this year's seniors being the first class in the past two to spend both years on campus, or whether you're in our NCSS M online class, where we are in the first two year stretch where you'll have the ability to be on campus for residential weekends and deepen your bonds with classmates. There's no question that the past few years have challenged all of us. I know that at NCSS M we've managed to live and learn through these challenges because of the amazing work of everyone in our community. You each and every one of you has worked so hard to get here. Though each of you put an enormous effort you achieved so much only with the help and support of others along the way, your teachers your family, your friends, supportive counselors, mentors in your community. So in addition to retaining all of the support you've had to this point. Now you're in a part of a supportive community here at NCSS M together with talented students from every corner of North Carolina. You'll be working with outstanding faculty and staff, you have the tremendous support of our state and many friends of our school. You'll have countless opportunities to gain and apply knowledge in the classroom to test hypotheses in the lab to make art to design and create a device and I'm one of our fabrication labs to play and maybe also compete on the field in the court and start or join a club about a long standing interest or a brand new one that you've just discovered. I urge you to notice and give your attention to these opportunities as they come along to consider saying yes to them. Do them not just for the grade or for the line on your college resume, but to experience and to learn to grow and to connect. Opportunities are ultimately what you make of them, and that is for you to decide. You'll choose to explore many things or will you go more deeply into fewer. Maybe you'll start exploring broadly and then focus on a select on a select passion or two. I want you to find excitement and trying gain insight from failure and find joy in doing this is what will allow you as the NC SSM tagline promises to design your own future. When I think about the opportunities you'll have in your time at NC SSM I think of the many amazing things students have done over the years that I've been fortunate to witness. And I want to highlight this by sharing a couple of these things with you. I think about just this past year when we had a student create incredible art that one major national awards. But what really stands out most about this student Mac Barnes was his passion for what he did and how he brought others into this passion. His art was quilting, where he combined his creative talents and passion with his knowledge and passion and computer science to create amazing quilts that tell the stories of people. As you see on the screen, these are just a couple of his works portrait of American on the left hangs outside the humanities office suite here in Durham and portrait of NC SSM will hang at NC SSM Morganton. For portrait of NC SSM Mac use the photos of 600 plus members of the NC SSM community, and the bridges supercomputer to create an image of the NC SSM community member that reflects all of us now and in the future. So why am I telling you about Mac and his artwork, because it's an example of what you can do when you combine your talent, your interest and passion with the support you have an NC SSM to pursue to pursue these and learn, make and do. Mac had the support of our incredible art teacher carry altar here in Durham, along with support from other faculty and staff and his peers to create a space for this work and created the society to do this work and inspire and teach others to express themselves through and also and also because his art was about people in our community and telling their stories. That's why I encourage you to learn the stories of those in our community in your time here. Another example of pursuing your passion and finding others that share that interest and passion to accomplish amazing things is also from last year was when our rocketry team NCS launched NC SSM's first ever supersonic rocket through nearly 12,000 feet and at Mach 1.3 speed. It was awesome to see last year's team completed this rocket which was started actually by members of the team in 2019 who could not finish due to COVID so they picked it up and went on and finished it. The captain of the 2019 team was there and they have the launch to share in this accomplishment and joy that went into doing it with the support of one another across the years. Dr love and our engineering faculty and many mentors, the team achieved what had not been done before because they work together and use their knowledge and passion to do what they knew was possible for them. So I hope that these stories highlight some of the greatest kinds of opportunities that you might have with the support of amazing faculty and staff at NCS SSM the many resources we offer and through engaging with the many classmates you'll meet. You are all an amazing group of people, as we sought to recruit a NCS SSM student community that reflects the rich diversity of our great state of North Carolina. You'll meet people from all different races, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, religion sexual orientation, gender identities, life experiences and points of view. You'll get to know these peers on hall in the classroom and all across campus, and I hope across both physical and campuses and virtual as well. While the impulse can be to seek out those most like you amid the uncertainty of new surroundings. I challenge you to seek out those who are different from you. There's an adage that goes something like this, when you believe that you can learn something from everyone, everyone will become someone. So I encourage you to engage, listen and be ready to share in return. If you were to leave NCS SSM after two years with your back turned to those whose views and experiences may be different than yours. You would have missed out on one of the most valuable and special opportunities this school has to offer the people, all of the people who make the NCS SSM community special. So don't let that happen. When you cultivate relationships here with the diversity of classmates, you'll make lifelong friends. Last week, 10 members of Dr. Smith Jackson's class the class of 1982 were on hand in Morganton to help the first class of juniors move into the residence hall there. I saw them laughing and visiting between carrying loads of boxes and marvel to new and how closely bonded they remained even 42 years after first getting to know one another on this repurposed hospital campus in Durham. As I speak to alumni from across the decades I hear I'll living and learning and getting to know and be friends with people very different than they were was one of the most formative parts of their time at the school, the special sauce, if you will, and a key ingredient to the NCS SSM experience. The juniors. Now I know that over the past few days you've been provided with a lot of information, faced with a lot of change and newness. It may be a little bit overwhelmed at this point, but I hope that you're enjoying the start of the new school year, making friends and excited about where you find yourself today. We're all here to support you on your journey. And over the past 42 years, all the NCS SSM community have shared something essential to the NCS SSM experience that has been so formative for so many over the years. This has enabled students from different decades to meet and talk about their shared NCS SSM experience and even though it was not exact the exact same experience. And for all of our juniors that will be more true than any previous class, as we expand to two physical campuses and finish several construction projects and Morganton and Barcon and embark on major renovations on the Durham campus, while you're occupying both of these campuses. This is particularly a special time to be a part of our school community. This will also present present some challenges no doubt that we will overcome together. And then reminisce about overcoming them in the decades to follow, just like the seniors, the class of 1982 were helping move in the other day reminiscing about their experience on their move in day. So while elements of the NCS SSM experience are timeless and shared among and across classes, we can see we can see vividly in the metaphor of these projects, the ingredients that go into that experience that are always changing and involving. More than anything, what you and we all do together this year will help define your NCS SSM experience and add to the rich history of our school. So this afternoon evening go forth and celebrate the multitude of opportunities before you in this fascinating community of learners. Tomorrow and in the weeks and months to come, reach out and get to know as many of our community members as you can, and make the most of the many opportunities you will have. By doing this, you'll be better for it as as well those around you and will our community as a whole. So thank you. At this time, I would like to introduce NCS SSM student government association president Aaron chin to provide remarks. Thank you to Dr. Roberts for the insightful remarks and introduction. Before I begin, I would like to also thank the staff, the faculty and alumni and the rest of the NCS SSM family for joining us today. Greetings classes of 2023 and 2024. I hope you're having a wonderful afternoon from whichever campus you're tuning in from, whether it's Durham online or the newest addition to our community, more content. Congratulations on completing your first day of classes. My name is Aaron Chen and I have the privilege of serving as your new body president this school year. To the juniors congratulations on your seventh and CSSM, your hard work and dedication throughout the last few years have brought you into our community. And we couldn't be happier that you're here. The upcoming two years might be the hardest years of your life thus far, but they will also be some of the best years of your life. As the week goes by, the strangers around you will turn into some of your greatest friends. The night staying up late working on chemistry homework will turn into the best memories because of the jokes crack by your roommates doing the same thing to cherish this time. It is truly what you make of it. To our seniors congratulations on making it to both your last year of high school and your last year at NCS SSM. In a few short months, we will be leaving the school with graduation caps on our heads and ready for whatever the future holds. I will love nothing more than offered some wise senior vice year, but the truth is I am also a senior and dire need of advice. In reality, there's no magical guidance that will eliminate the challenges of the next few months. To navigate through your class workloads, senior leaderships and the unknowns of the college application process. Remember to take time for yourself. Have fun and value the rest of your time here in the unique environment of the NCS system community. When you start this year, you will begin as a seed filled with endless possibilities. While some of you might learn in your ecology class later the semesters seeds will not germinate unless they're given the correct conditions. For some plants, the ability for their seed to adapt to a wide variety environments is an evolutionary advantage that has allowed them to thrive. For others, the germination process is so complicated that multiple areas of support are needed in order for their seed to form their sprout. For most of us, it's the combination of these two conditions that is needed for us to grow and flourish. Both our abilities to adapt to the variety of different environments and the multiple facets of support we have received three hour lives have brought us through the journey to where we are now. These two elements are especially prominent after the last three years we have faced. As students, we face some of the heart the most isolating times in our lives at a stage where most of us were just beginning to develop both our sense of community and sense of self. As a result, we can feel uncertain about both these aspects of our lives. As future scientists, innovators, and writers, we are interested in exploring the unknown. In fact, it is the idea of discovering something new and something unexpected that drives us in our passions. With the uncertainty of our passions and our goals, I want you to also embrace the part of yourselves that makes you feel uncertain. Try doing something you may have never expected yourself to do, whether it's a class or a club or a forum like AP cheese. The things you try and the risks you take will allow you to grow into someone you can look back on and be proud of. So take pride in the community has provided you with unconditional support, whether it's your sports team, your hall shout out their belt, or the friends you picked up in the unexpected places. Know that you're an essential part of what it means to be in the Unicorn community and make it a goal to make others feel the same way. Thank you so much again for allowing me the opportunity to speak with you all today. I would like to introduce Dr. O'Connor, Provost and Vice Chancellor of academic programs. Thank you. Thank you very much, Erin and good afternoon. On behalf of academic programs, I would like to welcome all of our residential and online students and the classes of 2023 and 2024, our faculty, staff, family and NCSFM friends. I have the great privilege of introducing our convocation speaker for our 43rd convocation, Dr. Tanya Smith Jackson. Over 40 years ago, she was chosen to give the student commencement speech to her class, the very first graduating class in Durham in 1982. And now she returns to give us convocation remarks in a true full circle moment, and we are so lucky to have her. Brian Faircloth wrote a terrific narrative about Dr. Smith Jackson, and I hope you take the opportunity to read it on our NCSFM homepage. I wanted to highlight a few parts of Dr. Smith Jackson's journey. As you may have read, Dr. Smith Jackson had the courage to apply to NCSFM when she was in 10th grade. The application process was different compared to the process many of you just completed. At the time it was a paper application and there was an interview component. Imagine the coordination of the admissions team that as they had to prepare interviews for hundreds of students. Dr. Smith Jackson was at a beta club convention in Raleigh when her mother called the hotel to tell her that she received an invitation in their mailbox to interview at NCSFM the next day. She had to be in Durham the next morning, but it was well worth it. She was accepted to NCSFM and moved to campus a few weeks later. And although it was difficult to leave her grandparents, her parents, her five siblings, and the town of Gaston, she was given the opportunity by the state of North Carolina to spread her wings and make an impact. She says, and I quote, I owe a debt of gratitude to Governor Jim Hunt, who helped found the North Carolina School of Science and Math, and the state of North Carolina. I was educated with taxpayer dollars and I was very aware of that when I was at NCSFM. It mattered to me that the state was investing in me and my career and ultimately the opportunities for my family. End of quote. And this incredible investment persists as we continue to serve hundreds of talented students across the state. Dr. Smith Jackson earned a bachelor's degree from UNC Chapel Hill and a master's and PhD from NC State University. She taught and led an engineering program at Virginia Tech. She was a program director with the National Science Foundation and a scholar and residence at the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and has served in a variety of research and consulting capacities. She is now the Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at North Carolina A&T State University. And in each role, she has completed her work through an important lens of equity, diversity and inclusion. And can you believe that even with all those amazing leadership roles and accomplishments, as well as spending time abroad, thanks to her father's career in the Air Force and her husband's career in the United States Army. She will tell you that her two years at NCSFM are still the most transformative years of her life. When Dr. Smith Jackson arrived in Durham in 1980, there was a lot of construction happening around her and the NCSFM Durham cafeteria was not completed in 1980. Well, this too has come full circle because Morganton students are awaiting their new fully operational cafeteria and the Durham and online students will watch the renovation of the same cafeteria that Dr. Smith Jackson waited for as a teenager. And with all of the construction happening around her as the new Durham campus opened, the teenager, Tonya Smith Jackson wondered, are we really ready? Is this going to work? And what she found out being in the same situation our current students are in is that it was not about the construction. It was not about the brick and mortar. It was about the cultural activities, the classes, the labs, the clubs, the fine arts, the sports, and most of all it was about the people, the students, the faculty, the staff, the families and our NCSFM friends from across the state who truly make this an extraordinary place to live, learn and work. It's about the relationships and engaging with each other, talking together, giving each other the space and opportunity to enjoy each other's company, leaning into the difficult conversations, listening to each other and learning from peers across the state. Dr. Smith Jackson continues her career today being a champion for one very important word, belonging. And over 40 years ago with a lot of courage, she found a place to belong. Please help me in welcoming our NCSFM friend and a special colleague of mine, Dr. Tonya Smith Jackson. Thank you Provost O'Connor. Thank you so much for that great introduction. Good afternoon, everyone. What a great place to be today. Our 43rd convocation of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. I'm so pleased to be part of this gathering, part of this assembly. Thank you, Chancellor Todd Roberts for your, for your leadership and for the great welcome, and also to our student government leader, Ms. Chen, thank you so much. I extend a welcome to my fellow Board of Trustees members and any UNC Board of Governors members, faculty, staff and administrators, and all of our wonderful students are unicorns from the Durham campus, our online campus, and the New Morganton campus. Parents, if you're out there, we are glad to have you with us today as well. I do want to give a big shout out to NCSS and Morganton. This was a long time coming and wow, a lot of people sacrificed to make this happen. And I also want to thank Brian Faircloth for helping me tell my story. Brian, you took a hodgepodge of memories and turned them into a coherent narrative that really speaks to who I am. So I do appreciate that. And a few things I wanted to share. As a graduate of NCSS M class of 82. Wow, 40 years ago. I gave the first student commencement address in 1982 when we graduated, and it all started with an essay contest the way we did it we had an essay contest and review committee, and I was selected. That was a great moment in my life as well and indeed I feel like I'm coming full circle. I came out to the class of 82. We are the oldest alumni. We have to come to grips with that. I also played the trombone and concert band and I played basketball I was in African dance and I was also voted the freakiest dancer you can look that up it's in the yearbook. The point being, please embrace this experience. Please embrace every opportunity you have in the classroom, and also outside the classroom. I have two people sisters who graduated from NCSS M in 1988. They were 20 they are twins Alicia and Erica Smith, and also some other aspects of my persona. I'm a mother of three kids and a grandmother for kids. And this does not really count all the kids to touch my life through foster care. I'm a foster parent as well. And my husband Curtis is also in North Carolinian and continues to inspire me every day as do my children and grandchildren to our classes of 2023 and 2024 welcome back and welcome aboard respectively. I can tell you now what we did and what we have back then and what you have now really reflect to somewhat different worlds. We did not have the internet, for instance, we did not have cell phones we actually waited in line in the hallway to use pay phones Uber and lift did not exist at that time and at that time. There was no way I was going to get into a car with a stranger unless it had the big words taxi written on the side. We had to have a runoff election by the way on paper a paper based runoff election to choose the school mascot. It was because we had a tie between Pegasus and unicorn. I voted for unicorns. Nonetheless, whether you're at in Durham or Morganton or online, we have so very much in common, because we are sharing a great experience that we call in CSS and and the mere fact of our unicorn character gives us a common reference point that is so it's one that no one can ever take away from us. So let's make sure we embrace this experience if for those of us who are new to it and continually, and we need to milk it for all its worth. I arrived at NCS SM Durham in 1980 in August of 1980, and I arrived with mixed emotions. I saw the absolute promise of a very good education and an opportunity to advance, but I also arrived with a twinge of guilt, because I left my parents farm at a time of great struggle to make even a modest income after my father was nearing the Air Force. We had to make sure that we were farming and farming in a way that we could sell our produce farming requires hard working people who have the stamina to withstand that kind of labor. And you can do all the science in the world, but farming is still uncertain. Everything boils down to what nature decides to do from day to day. So I arrived with a great deal of worry that leaving my parents farm would have a negative impact on their income. I lived in many places in my life before returning to North Carolina before my ninth grade year. Of course my dad's Air Force career took my mom and my five other siblings to many areas across the world and within the United States. No matter where we traveled when we returned to North Carolina, my role on our modest farm in Gaston was crucial. Cucumber farm farming was our moneymaker but also we had farm animals who had to be cared for and we grew most of our food. So as I found myself in the big city of Durham at that time, I arrived with reservations. I think many of you and NCSSM online are really in a great position to be at this school and still within the communities you love, while also reaping the benefits of a great education. I don't regret my choice to leave home. I had some guilty feelings but I did not regret my choice. My parents encouraged me very strongly to go to NCSSM and they supported me all the way. When I arrived in Durham, I was wondering, like Provost O'Connor said, are we really going to make it? Is this really going to work? I saw buildings still on campus, builders still on campus and the smell of paint was strong. It was everywhere. Buckets and debris were everywhere. There were places that were marked do not walk. My first residence hall was Hill House and I remember stepping over construction tools to get to my mailbox. Mordenton campus, fear not, it will work out. I promise you. Not only were we in an experiment in the class of 1982, goodness, we were the pilot study well before the actual experiment began. We worked out the kinks, however, and I remember having a class just outside the cafeteria for several weeks because the assigned classroom was not quite ready. And that was Dr. Owen's chemistry class and it was just outside the cafeteria but the cafeteria wasn't operational either. It was just outside of what was going to be the cafeteria. But I can tell you that once we were in the groove of operations, when things were running really smoothly, we thrived at NCSSM, and we were well rounded. While we call this school the School of Science and Mathematics, it is really a steam school that holistically developed us. And I think that's the secret sauce. I think that's the secret sauce that you're going to walk away from. We embrace the integration of science and math with arts, humanities, sports and fitness and other forms of thinking and intellect. And the reason I call that the secret sauce because I think cognitively, we learned to make very interesting connections, which then made us innovative thinkers. We studied hard often late into the night, but that's how much, you know, we have to work at NCSSM. We were young enough to have bad sleep habits yet not feel the impacts. I can tell you though those impacts will show up later in your life. So take good care of yourselves, get some rest. I remember how hard our professors and staff worked day in and day out and well into the night. And one thing I can say I felt at NCSSM that did not happen in many other learning spaces, where I found myself later as a student and engineer and industry and government and a faculty member in higher education. At NCSSM I never felt underestimated, never felt underestimated. The same expectations applied to everyone and I rose to the occasion, because when teachers are great at what they do. And they believe students can excel. Guess what happens. Excellence emerges from every single student. We had a curfew and yes our class days were long, but we had fun too. Saturdays were for laundry, getting in a good run around the parking lot. We did not have a track so I ran around the parking lot to get my miles in. And we had dances. We watched Dr. Who, Dr. Who was very big back then, and Soul Train, another big deal. My parents sent me $20 a month as cash and an envelope so it was never stolen to cover expenses like toiletries, snacks, paper, etc. On Fridays, I use, I use some of that money to indulge myself. And I did something that I still enjoy today. I bought, I would buy a Cadbury bar with almonds. It was a big deal. $20 adjusted for inflation today in case you were wondering is equivalent to $71 and 91 cents per month. And I made it work. As I reminisce, I can imagine that some of this might be boring to you, you know how more seasoned people like myself will go on and on about the past. Now the ACON, the African concept of Sankofa works, we always have to remember the past and use it as a tool to move forward to a brighter future. But now I should really leave you some other thoughts that you can take with you as you move forward in this transformative space that we call NCSSN. I'm a Chief Academic Officer of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. I am now, you know, after searching far and wide and changing my major three times. I found my place. I found my passion, and that is going to school. And in this case, leading in ways to enhance the teaching and learning climate for my institution and for our students very much like your administrators do there at NCSSN. I've always loved learning and school was the place to do that. I loved every single subject, which is why I'm still going to school just this time as a provost or Chief Academic Officer. I'm where I should be a provost of the largest and most excellent historically black university in the nation. I know that there's a context for everyone to thrive and earn their degrees, and I fight for equitable resources so all students regardless of ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, geography, ability or income, have the opportunity to enjoy a well resourced education to earn their degrees. It has been a great journey. It's three pieces of advice as your journey begins or continues at this great institution. Three main points. The first is remember the story of the hare and tortoise take a moment and remember that story. There are many variations of the story of the hare and the tortoise. So while he stops fables are credited. The tail is an ancient one and it predates Greece, hairs and tortoises thrive in multiple areas around the world Middle East, the African continent Asia Europe and North America so no one really knows who first told this tale, and there are again multiple variations. One version of the story goes like this. The tortoise took off on their race. The hare ran at top speed and arrived at the finish line, almost immediately, and began celebrating and boasting about the victory of winning the race. The tortoise did not take off running, but instead slowly shaking hands with those on the sidelines meanderd through walked around had conversations, learned about other people along the way. So we got a lot to stop and talk to friends and family. After some time of waiting for the tortoise to finish. One person came up to the tortoise and asked in a very annoyed way. Don't you know you're supposed to be running a race. You have to finish this race immediately. The tortoise stopped hugging one of the people on the sidelines and looked up at the re the inquirer and calmly asked. What race. The story is that it is not about the end and hurrying up and rushing to the end of the race, but the journey to the end. It is important to connect with people along the way on your journey, get to know your classmates your professors the staff, others in your community, get involved. Remember to maintain your family connections that's important, and learn and meet new people. Relationships, not finish lines and accolades interpersonal intelligence is one of the best predictors of a successful life, and more importantly, a healthy mind. Secondly, embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We are alike than we are different, but the differences should not be ignored, they should be celebrated, learned about, and those differences should be used to expand your mindset. I had the opportunity to live in a lot of places. I was able to engage and live with many different cultures. And that made me realize that differences and variations expand the mind. Same this will cripple the mind it will stall your mind and your cognitive system starts relying on simplistic processing and prejudicial thinking. Get to know people who are very different from you, engage in dialogue be respectful, learn and appreciate. No one culture is better than the other. Everyone brings knowledge wisdom and positionality that will advance the human condition. Understand this and use your intelligence to connect those dots, and please don't fall for false narratives that would make you believe that we are not connected, or that one group is better or not as better as the other. Be smarter than those who seek to divide, have conversations so you can be knowledgeable, so that you can interact and have the lived experience and appreciate the differences that people bring. Be open to new experiences. We are all too smart to repeat the narrow patterns of thinking, prejudice and isms so rise above that openness to new experiences also one of the best predictors of success. And also a healthy mind. Learn number three learn about your learn and honor your authentic self learn about and honor your authentic self at your age you are in the process of solidifying an identity. Your identity comprises various personas persona you have when you're at home, the persona you bring to the classroom, the persona you show when you're around friends, your formal persona, even the persona that you present when you are alone and nobody else is there. But know that across all these personas, the core of your identity runs through all of the personas and that core needs to be developed shaped chiseled. You have to know yourself and then navigate the authentic self, the true self, and its expressions of these personas in different context. This takes interpersonal intelligence, which is underappreciated in our Western culture. If you find yourself as a non binary person in a very stubborn binary world, then help the world grow and understand this wonderful aspect of yourself. If you find yourself a person of color in spaces where you are not the majority, then remember to be yourself, unapologetically, while helping others understand, appreciate and grow. When dealing with geographic bias where some believe the cities or suburbs are superior to the rural areas, help people understand the importance of all geographies. Being honest and bold enough to present your authentic self helps the world overcome its insistence on sameness. Your uniqueness matters and you should not be ashamed to be yourself without question. For instance, I show never never apologize for my love of various genres of music, even though I get complaints from friends and family about my playlist. I love algeros jazz fire gyros jazz Mahalia Jackson's blues inspired gospel. I love Afro beats. I love old timey bluegrass and the Carolina chocolate drops. I love Tina Marie. I love Baroque music, and the do be brothers. I also love big freedom bounce music and Chuck Browns go go music. No apologies. No apologies. Be yourself. Be yourself boldly. Be yourself respectfully and have an attitude that your core self matters and should be honored interpersonal intelligence is one of the best predictors of success, and certainly needs your healthy mind. So I leave you in summary, three main pieces of advice. Remember, it's not about the race or the finish line. It's about the journey interpersonal intelligence. Remember to embrace diversity equity inclusion and belong openness to new experiences. And then also learn about and honor your authentic self intrapersonal intelligence. And by saying that I'm excited about the many great things you will do. It is your charge to learn as much as you can to grow as much as you can because we need you in this world of ever increasing complexity and entropy. We have not downloaded the web telescope app. Please consider doing so. The photos of our universe, the far away galaxies the nebula reflecting millions of light years. Tell us that as we look back to our beginnings, we still have a very promising future. I look forward to you making sure that we don't blow or squander that future. So we need you use this transformational experience to prepare yourself to transform the world. What drives us at NCSSM is accept a greater challenge. Go out this year, and with courage, fortitude and no apology for the uniqueness you bring to this world. Accept that challenge and better yet, embrace that challenge. Good luck this year in writing that next chapter, as Chancellor Roberts indicated, I'll say to all of you, and go unicorns. Dr. Smith Jackson, thank you so much for being with us today and for sharing your thoughts, your story and your wonderful advice. We really, really appreciate. I know this is a really busy time for you to the school you're starting there. And so we really appreciate you taking the time to be with us and we present each year, our convocation speaker with an original Joe Lyles NCSSM print to say thank you. This print, I'm going to try to hold it up here. Hopefully you can see it okay. It's a pen and ink original print and for those of you don't know Joe was the first art teacher at NCSSM so he was here with you in the beginning, and this will be coming to you. So we'll next trip to, to, to Morganton on passing through Greensboro will drop it off at your office and so thank you again and I hope that you have a fantastic start to your school year as well. Thank you Chancellor and I am honored to receive that from one of Joe Lyles pieces Joe Lyles was my art teacher so thank you so much I appreciate the gift. You're welcome take care. So, as we close our 43rd convocation, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who helped plan our event today special thanks to Grant Harrison who's driving the tech bus here today he's done a fantastic job of, of, of helping with this virtual event. Thanks again to jacari and our orchestra and corral and Miss Perez and Mr. Seigen and Mr. Laird for our music today. And thanks to our student leaders Aaron Aaron Aaron and Veronica for your words and participation and a huge thanks to Dr. Connor and Dr. teachy and Dr. little and Mr. Barnard and Miss Lambert for all of your work and planning today's event so so thank you for helping us get the school year off to a great start. So once again, I want to thank our faculty and staff for your amazing work and dedication and providing the very best for our students and not only in preparing and starting the school year but each and every day no matter the circumstance so so thank you all very much. Every school year is always filled with with great excitement and with the possibilities that come with starting anything new. So students as you experience, learn and struggle and enjoy all that lies ahead of you this year I want you to remember what got you here. Your commitment to learning your courage, your motivation, your drive to challenge yourself to your highest ability and beyond, and your resilience in the face of adversity. Every year brings challenges along with the multitude of opportunities that you've heard about today. We certainly know that this year will present you with with some and that will be new and different. What you make of them, both will not only define the year but will help you grow and learn as you prepare for next year and the many years ahead of you. I want you to know that every member of our faculty and staff are here to support you and help you succeed. You'll find that there are no more amazing and committed professionals anywhere. But I also want you to remember that is your continue your continued commitment to being successful. That is most important, more so than any other thing. So take advantage of the many opportunities you'll find at NC SSM, and those that you'll make explore your interests grow your passions strive for your best while letting those around you help you grow. While you are doing the same for them and all of us together can see what we will accomplish as a community. This year is filled with the possibilities of what you and we will make of it together. So thank you all. And let's have a fantastic school year. And now we will play the NC SSM Alma Mater, it will be performed by members of NC SSM Orchestra and Corral. So if you were able please rise and sing along. The words are in the program and as well they'll be on the screen. So again, thank you all for being here this afternoon and we look forward to a fantastic school year. Thank you for that beautiful rendition of the alma mater and for the members of the orchestra and Corral for your performance. So as again, we're at the end of the convocation ceremony. So welcome again to the 2223 academic year. And so at this time in Durham, all of our students you'll in faculty and staff who are here as well that would like to attend will be served food in the PFM so down in the cafeteria and then we hope that you will please join your classmates and all of us out on the Brian lawn for dinner. And then food will be served in the academic commons and then also please join your classmates outside the academic commons and please while we were before finding out of wherever you are please enjoy our recessional music before leaving for the reception. Again, let's have a fantastic school year and thank you very much.