 standing for the national anthem and lift every voice and sing. At ECSU will resonate throughout your life. Your education has provided you with the knowledge and skill set you need to achieve and I want to say go forward to do well in any and everything that you decide that you put your minds to. I am enthusiastic for all of you and I know we will hear so many positive things about the great things you all are going to do moving forward. I challenge you, graduate, to remain committed to this university. Just as you were great student ambassadors, we need you to shine as great alumni ambassadors and that means time, talent and treasure. So if you haven't already joined the Alumni Association, so a penance ceremony last night, I'm going to expect that you will be contributing members of that Alumni Association when this is over. There are many things that you will remember as you look back and as you look forward to this new chapter in your life. I'm so glad that the choir is over here to my left. Gospel singer Corrine Hawthorne said it like this Won't he do it? He said he would. Fight your battles for you. They're going to wonder how you sleep at night. Won't he do it? They said he would. Anybody tell you something different, you know that's a lie. You're going to look back and be so amazed. How it turned out it's only his grace Won't he do it? He said he would. He'll be there for you at all times. Congratulations Vikings and as I take my seat of all Saints, what we used to say as you look heaven forward, heaven work, I would say you are the source of my strength. The Association President once again for this academic year. I would like to bring greens on behalf of the entire student body here at Elizabeth City State University. To all the platform participants, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests, it's important. The graduating class of 2021, we welcome you today. To the graduates, not only have you reached a lifetime milestone, but you did so under extraordinary circumstances. You pressed forward with resilience that is the signature of Elizabeth City State University. Many of you have gone through many obstacles. However, I understand that you might not look like everything you've been through. Just know when you come in contact with, just know there will be more obstacles, but with those obstacles become even greater accomplishments. So look at your neighbor and say mindset. Mindset is what success starts with. So I want to challenge you all to create the most highest, grandest vision possible for your life because ultimately you become what you believe. Thank you. By the ECSU choir conducted by Isaiah Hairston, student conductor. Mitt Smith speaker, Dr. Harry Williams, and I have to say UNC System, and I am quite delighted that he took time out of his schedule to be with us today. He is an inspirational speaker and a great leader, and I am just thankful that he answered my call this year when I called and asked him to be a part of our commencement. Now last year I have to tell y'all he was at Delaware State. So this year we're just happy to have him at ECSU. So you will find nations largest organization exclusively represented historically black colleges and predominantly black institutions educating nearly 300,000 students. Under his leadership, TMCF has created innovative partnerships increased organizational stability, HBCU support. Under Dr. Williams, TMCF has experienced tremendous growth, expanding its revenue threefold and doubling its corporate sponsorships and partnerships. Dr. Williams places a strong emphasis on creating bipartisan aliases. TMCF has been at the significant national legislative victory for HBCUs such as the Future Act in 2019. HBCUs meet the financial challenges of COVID-19 and continue educating their students in 2020. Bachelor's and master's degrees from Appalachian State University so he is a product of the UNC System graduates and he earned his doctorate from East Tennessee State University and he was named President Emeritus of Delaware State University. His wife is Dr. Robin S. Williams and they are the proud parents of two adult sons, Austin and Gavin. Please join me to a true champion of HBCUs the Poe of the Thurgood Marshall College on Dr. Harry Williams. Thank you Chancellor. Class of 2021 2021, you made it. You've earned the right to be here today. Let me be clear, you've earned the right to be here today. No one is giving you anything today. You've earned this right to be here today. This is the day that the law has made. Let us rejoice and be glad to rejoice. This is a time to celebrate you. To celebrate excellence. To celebrate quality. And we're here today to witness this. I am so excited, so excited about this opportunity to look at the future and I want you to know the future is bright. I am so optimistic about what you are going to do in this world. I know first hand that you're going to be successful, that you're going to do incredible things for this country, this state, this world. Because of the degree that you will earn today from Elizabeth City State University. It has been in this community for over 130 preparing mine for incredible opportunities. And what I want you to know, in the spirit of our namesake, Justice Thurgood Marshall, I get up every single day excited about going to work. Every single day knowing that we are working on behalf of more than 300,000 HBCU students. And to know that one of the greatest Supreme Court justice there ever lived, Justice Marshall, we carry that legacy on every day. And to know Justice Marshall, a proud two-time, two-time HBCU graduate, graduated at the top of his class at Lincoln University. One of the oldest HBCUs in America. Then he went on to Howard University and graduated at the top of his class at Howard University. But after that he dedicated his life, he dedicated his life to serving others. He got up every day thinking about someone else. Thinking about how can we make somebody else's life better in this world. And when you feel that, and when you know that's what you represent, you get excited about the opportunities that's ahead. Knowing that Justice Marshall argued before the highest court in the land, 32 times, and he won 29 cases before the highest court in the land. And he was an HBCU graduate. So let's be clear on all that. So that's why I know today that you're going to be successful. That's why I know today that you're going to continue a long journey of success. So guess what students, I want you to get used to people celebrating you. I want you to get used to people saying, I am so proud of what you've achieved. Because you're not sitting in that seat by yourself. You didn't get here by yourself. You got here through others who stayed up late at night praying for you. Praying for you to come home and knowing that you're in a safe place on this campus. But you got people behind you. You got people cheering you on. I love cheering for you. I love representing for you. When I go and talk to corporate leaders and CEOs all over America, I'm talking about you. You're my product when I talk about you. And I'll talk about what you're going to do when you get in that space and you're going to excel. So today, what I want to leave with you, I want to leave with you seven keys. Seven keys for success. Now you're going to be successful. There's no question about that. But we all need help. Everybody in this room, we need somebody to help us to do something at one time or another. If you think you can live in this space on this earth without anyone helping you, you need to walk out of this room today. Everybody needs help. I don't care how big you are, I don't care how small you are, we all need help. So when people are giving you free help, which I'm going to give you today, because Dr. Dixon didn't tell you, she didn't pay me anything to come here. Normally people pay me to come to these events. But because we were friends, she took advantage of our friendship. That's what friends do. So they didn't even give me a cookie. They didn't even have a donut when I walked in. I got a bottle of Washington, D.C. And Washington, D.C. is not around the corner. That's a long hop. And then I got to go back to Washington, D.C. But anyway, I'm here, happy to be here with you. Find the seven keys. These keys, my grandmother gave these keys to me. I grew up not too far from here, Greenville, North Carolina. They let her to Greenville, North Carolina. That's my home. Rose High School, James Rose High School where I went to school. I was the first person in my family to go to college. Show of hands. If you're the first person in your family, raise your hand to graduate today. Being the first is significant. That's it. Be proud of that. Being the first is significant because you're trellin', you open the pathway for others to follow. Because when you go down that pathway first, because people are watching you. And they're watching how you carry yourself. Others will follow because they see success. And that's what a university will do. Brain success and quality. When you have the best faculty, the best administration, the best senior staff, the best staff working for your success. And it takes everybody everybody to play a role in that. My grandmother, who didn't have an elementary education, told me you're going to be successful and I needed to hear that from my grandmother because she had lived a long time. And she said, but I want to give you some keys that will help you along the way. And the biggest biggest thing that leaders do, they listen they listen. When you listen, that means you hear people what they're saying to you. There's wisdom in this room and wisdom is when people see something that you don't see and sometimes you think you see it. But someone has been down that road that you're going down and occasionally people let you go down that road so you can experience what they know but sometimes we want to hold you back. My grandmother, I love her to death. She said I want you to have these keys. So I'm going to give you my grandmother keys today because I have kept them with me throughout my whole entire journey. I'm extremely blessed in my life in terms of opportunities. It's all because I listen and I listen to people who know a little bit more than me and I listen to them. And my grandmother was one of those. The first key she said, and I want you to remember this if you don't have anything to write it down, put it in your memory because you're smart. And I know you can recall it very quickly. Very simple. My grandmother said when you go out in life always hold on to your faith. The first key is your faith because your faith is the foundation that will get you through the storms when you go through the storms of life. And when you go through those storms you will go through those storms and you need something that's going to hold you down regardless of your religious affiliation but your faith is number one. She said number two is your family. Never ever get too big that you can't call home to talk to mama or daddy or uncle or somebody. Never ever your family will be there with you through thick or thick. I don't care what you do. They will be there with you. So never ever get so big and mighty when people are saying your name and celebrating your success and giving you all the money that you've asked for. Never forget family because family will be there with you celebrating you like you need to be celebrating. When you know you need to listen I can tell you my mother when I was in college my mother gave me the best advice I could have ever received. When I was in college I got homesick and I wanted to quit school and my mother didn't go to college and I wanted to drop out guess what the reason was. I had a girlfriend back home and I missed my girlfriend. You remember her name right now but a pre-engagement ring. You know what a pre-engagement is? It's a ring before you give them the ring. I was in love. I said mama I want to drop out because I want to come home. She said only a mother can do this now. Only a mother. She's a hang that phone up and go back to class and don't come back until you finish those semester out. I hung the phone up and I went back to class. Now think about that. Only a mother can do that because they know you. They know you better. They know that girl who that girl was too. They know that girl won't about in that need. But I didn't know that. I was in love. That's the point. Your family number three. She said I don't care what you do. I don't care what you become. But do it with all of your energy, all of your might and have passion with it. Have passion. Because when you have passion it's going to motivate you in the morning. It's going to motivate you to get up. One of the things I told my two boys, both of them, my oldest one graduated from Howard. My youngest one is a senior at Howard right now. I said whenever you get a job I don't care what that job is. You get up and you hustle to get there. You be the first one there, the last one to leave you get there. You get to that job because people are watching you. And you put that passion in it and they see that passion and guess what they all say. I want him on my team. I want her on my team because they have what we need to move forward. Passion and key number four. Students this one is huge. I want you to dream big. Then you can ever imagine in terms of what you want to achieve in life. And when you dream big and this is the key to it I want you to write it down on a piece of paper and then I want you to look at it every single day. If your goal is to be a lawyer your goal is to be a doctor. Your goal is to be a successful business man when you graduate. Your goal is to be a principal or teacher or nurse or whatever it's going to require you to work hard. In order for you to work hard you got to have something that's going to motivate you. So you get up every morning focus on that and you look at it. You said this is what I'm going to do today to prepare me for this opportunity here for tomorrow. And believe me I'm witnessing and what they say I'm testifying as a witness it works. I have a vision for myself that I want to be a college president of an HBCU. And I had the audacity to say that but guess what I didn't say it to anybody but myself because sometimes when you tell people your dreams they try to crush it and when they crush it you go in a different direction. You don't believe in yourself you don't get up so you're the only person that's going to motivate you is going to be yourself. So when you dream you internalize that dream and you know that you're working towards something every single day just like this degree that you're getting this four year degree. That was a dream to get this. It's coming to life. Your dreams come true but you got to work at it. You got to work at it. I said that I wanted to be a president. I put a timeline on it. I said I wanted to be a president in ten years. I was working at the time on the campus of North Carolina A&T. Didn't even have a doctor. Didn't even have a job that would lead in that direction. But I said this is what I want to do and these are the things I'm going to have to do to achieve it. Fast forward this was on a little piece of paper. I wrote it down October the 4th 2000 in North Carolina A&T ten years later 2010 I became president of Delaware State University That was a big dream and when you dream big you got to work. You got to add things to it. So dream big. And then number five plan for your success plan for it because you're going to get it. You walk into it plan for it. And key number six my grandmother said always be ready to say yes. Don't talk yourself out of opportunities. When someone come and present an opportunity to you don't say well I don't have this I don't have that. Don't say that say I will get this I will get that but yes because sometimes we talk our own self out of opportunities. So by saying yes and being quick to it it will create even more opportunities. You will do so many things. I've been in this space now for over 30 years and I've had probably 40 different jobs in my life. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do. But all of the jobs that I've had I've loved every single one of them. I had so much fun in all of my jobs. I was a basketball coach. I coached my son's basketball team. I coached my son's soccer team. I did all. I said yes. I had no experience doing it. Yes. Yes I can do it. I had a very first job. Very first job I said I want to work in tobacco. How many people work in tobacco around here? Anybody ever suck tobacco? Very first job I said I want to go suck some tobacco. I didn't know what sucking tobacco was. But I said yes and when I got out there I said I don't want to do that anymore. I went no until you tried. So say yes. And the final key for success then you're going to get your degrees. Every morning. Every morning with a positive attitude. Every morning with a positive attitude. I guarantee you because you upright and walking that's enough to start shouting right there by yourself. So get up every day and have a great day. Thank you God bless you. I have to say how many times did you give me those keys? I tell you he is an inspiration and I remember when he was at the UNC system office and as I mentioned y'all he was my boss. So we kept in touch and he definitely poured into me all the possibilities of leadership and so I am grateful that I am here at the helm of Elizabeth City State University and I thank you for believing in me. Thank you so much. So Dr. Williams please join me at the podium. On behalf of Elizabeth City State University we would like to present to you this frame coaster that we put out there for you. When I get home there's a check behind here. Dr. Williams for you're joining us this morning for such an inspirational address. So graduates keep those keys because you will be referring back to those throughout your life's journey. So we are so thankful for Dr. Williams to be here. So each year we have representation from our stakeholders who join us as we congratulate and celebrate our graduates. I would like to acknowledge the following people who have joined us today. You have already met the dynamic UNC Board of Governor member Sian Nicholl, husband Richard Nicholls. Thank you both for traveling here and being here with us. ECSU Board of Trustees please stand. ECSU Trustee Emeriti if you are here please stand. Foundation Board members if you are present please stand. ECSU Board of Visitors if you are here members please stand. The National Alumni Association Officers and Directors please stand. If we have Professor Emeriti please stand. ECSU Retirees Association please stand where you are. From our local state and national government if you are present please stand. Pitches of the military thank you for your service and please stand where you are. These are some hard working folks I tell you. Thank you all for joining us today. Lieutenant Carter the podium to deliver the oath of office to our newest ROTC officer. Good morning Elizabeth City State University family and friends. I am Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Freeman Jr. the professor of military science and commander of Viking Battalion. Airborne. Today I have the honor and privilege of reaffirming the oath of office for Second Lieutenant Michael Wright. Second Lieutenant Wright received her commission yesterday in a separate ceremony in front of her family, friends, peers, university leadership, faculty, staff and ECSU alumni who have supported her on this incredible journey. Second Lieutenant Wright please join me on stage. From today to a commissioned officer on behalf of the President of the United States the oath affirms a commitment to defend the American people and our way of life against all enemies foreign and domestic. It further represents a pledge to uphold and live by the army values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, personal courage and finally the oath of office represents a special trust that a commission lieutenant will take care of America's sons and daughters and provide them with competent, confident and caring leadership. This is the charge that Second Lieutenant Wright will affirm today. Raise your right hand and repeat after me. I state your full name. You solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. That will bear true faith and same. That I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that I will and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you Second Lieutenant Michael Wright. Lieutenant Wright will now receive a special gift from Chancellor Dixon. Second Lieutenant Wright we are so proud of you and I want you to know the Vikings will be with you as you continue your journey in the army and I want to present to you the official challenge coin for ECSU to carry with you always and we will be with you all the way. Thank you. Chancellor Dixon, we now recommend candidates for graduate degrees. Chancellor Dixon, it is my privilege to report to you that the candidates here assembled have qualified in all aspects for their degrees by successfully completing the curricula offered by the graduate program in education, school administration, biology and mathematics at Elizabeth City State University. Were the candidates for the master of education elementary education, master of school administration, master of science and biology, master of science and mathematics present to you these candidates who have completed all of their requirements for graduation. They have been certified by the registrar and have received an affirmative vote of the faculty to be awarded the master's degree in education, school administration, biology and mathematics and them to you for the conferral of their degree. By virtue of the authority vested in me by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the Elizabeth City State University Board of Trustees I do hereby confer upon you the degree for which you have qualified with all the honors, privileges and responsibilities they are on to appertaining to our graduates who have successfully completed their master's degree. Master of education in elementary education master of school administration, master of science and biology and master of science and mathematics please proceed to the stage to receive your degrees. Mark Laughton. Mark Anthony Miller the second. Congratulations please be seated. Freeze will now be conferred. Chancellor Dixon it is my privilege to report to you that the candidates here assembled have qualified in all respects for their degrees by successfully completing the curricula offered by the academic departments at Elizabeth City State University. They have been recommended by their department chairs approved by the honors council where apropos certified by the registrar and have received an affirmative vote of the faculty to be awarded the degrees, the bachelor of science in education, bachelor of science and the bachelor of arts. At this time I am pleased to begin the conferment of undergraduate degrees by presenting the bearer as represents the student who entered ECSU as a first time freshman and has the highest grade point average in the fall 2021 commencement. Chancellor Dixon to inform you that the official bearer of the mace is Taylor Pierce. Taylor Pierce please come forward for the conferment of your degree. Mr. Dixon I am pleased to present the bearer of the mace Taylor Pierce who has earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.966. Two of the authority vested in me are the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the Elizabeth City State University Board of Trustees. I do for which you have qualified with all the honors there on to appertaining. Chair Stephanie Johnson of the ECSU Board of Trustees will now hood you. Congratulations. Whenever we will be representing the bearer of the sheath the bearer of the sheath represents the student who entered ECSU as a transfer student and has the highest cumulative grade point average in the graduating class for the fall 2021 commencement. Chancellor Dixon it is my pleasure most distinct indeed to inform you that the official bearers of the shield are Alexis Harper and Anna Johnson both of whom earned a cumulative grade point average of 4.0. Alexis Harper and Anna Johnson please come forward for the conferment of your degrees. Chancellor Dixon I am pleased to present the bearer of the shield Alexis Harper and Anna Johnson. Of the shield Alexis Harper by virtue of the authority vested in me by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the Elizabeth City State University Board of Trustees I do hereby confer upon you the degree for which you have qualified with our honors abilities there on to appertaining. Trustee Stephanie Johnson of the ECSU Board of Trustees will now hood you. By the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the Elizabeth City State University Board of Trustees I do hereby confer upon you the degree for which you have qualified with all the abilities there on to appertaining. Chair Stephanie Johnson of the ECSU Board of Trustees will now hood you. Congratulations to our bearers of the shield. Chancellor Dixon before we proceed with the conferment of degrees I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize those seniors who are graduating with highest honors summa cum laude having achieved by their diligence a cumulative grade point average of 3.80 to 4.0. Will the graduates graduating summa cum laude please stand and remain standing. On their accomplishments you may be seated. Summa cum laude, magna cum laude and cum laude graduates I commend you on having achieved the excellence required by a highly rigorous curriculum. I encourage you to continue to excel. Thank you. Chancellor Dixon I am pleased now to present candidates for their respective degrees. Chancellor Dixon on the recommendation of their department chairs certification by the registrar and by an affirmative vote of the faculty it is my pleasure to present the candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Education Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts will the candidates please stand. Chancellor Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Dixon Please be seated. The entire university community, I extend sincere congratulations to each of you for achieving this milestone in your lives. At this time, I would like to recognize, listed in the program booklet CSU Commencement Committee, today a memorable occasion. Ms. Jasmine to deliver to the distinguished members of the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Dixon, faculty staff, family, friends, and graduates of class of 2021. Good morning. Thank you for joining us this morning. Thank you for providing the support and guidance that has fostered the success of these fine young men and women. I am Jasmine Riddick, and I serve as the senior class president. While I have the pleasure of giving you some encouraging words today, I would like to take a quick journey as we reflect on our past years here together here at the City State University. In 2018, as freshmen, we began our college journey. We made new friends and adapted going to college classes and began to enjoy campus life, especially we was away from home. In 2019, as sophomores, we gained more knowledge of how college work. We joined clubs and organizations, became more focused in our majors and thinking out of the careers. We was living our best lives. In March 2020, our junior year changed. We had to adjust to the new lifestyle due to the pandemic COVID-19. Our lives basically changed overnight, which meant we had to pause normal parties, normal athletic events, even biking fest and homecoming events were canceled. Everything just stopped. It was a rough 18 months. But now, I'll say it again, but now, here you are today, December 11, 2021, finishing your journey you here started four years ago. Your accomplishments go, congratulations. With that, I would like to share some importance of having goals in life. A goal is clearly defined as an objective that you want to achieve in life. It is possible of moving from where you are to where you want to be. It has been known that most successful people set clearly defined goals. This gives their life power, purpose, sense of direction without goals is unlikely to make a significant progress in life. Most people are happy because they don't know where they are going in life, and so lives let meaning and purpose. As soon as you learn how to set goals and start working towards achieving those goals, you will begin to feel that you can take control of your life. I'll let you discuss four goals. Go one, provide focus. A life without a goal is simply like an arrow without a target. One can shoot the arrow anywhere one's light without a goal. It becomes to achieve anything until there's something to focus on. One might have a huge potential and great talent, but without focus, the talent abilities are simply useless. The sense of direction is actually where it enables the mind to focus goals on a path to achieve and goals instead of aimlessly going around for nothing. But for a goal in mind, we know exactly what is needed to attain to stay goal, stay focused. Go to be accountable. Having a goal in mind makes one accountable, and most importantly, this accountability is only for the purpose of self. No one has any idea about the goals you have been set, and no one stands to gain the goals you are achieving. These goals solely help to create accountability of self. By this setting, important goals and easily understanding that if one is on the right track or if not, then what needs to be done to get back on track, be accountable. Go three, take control of your life. Goals are critical to take control of one's life rather than allowing goals to take control of one's self. There are several people who work extremely hard but are able to achieve anything in life because all they do is work. They're going in the direction where life is setting them. Setting goals will show them direction and the target to achieve by working hard. Goals will eventually help them take control of their life and they will know exactly what they're working for. Take control of your life. Go for it, be motivated. Goals are the roots of motivation and inspiration. Without motivation, it becomes tough to achieve or get something in life. The setup of the goals provides one with a foundation for one's drive. The goals to provide concrete endpoints to aim at the achieve of the target is a sighting. The goals help you to put 100% of effort to achieve the target and this focuses with what results the development of motivation. Stay motivated. So class of 2021, remember to always set goals in your life by staying focused, being accountable, taking control of your life and staying motivated. Congratulations to class of 2021. Bike in pride, bike in pride, bike in pride. Thank you much, Ms. Riddick. At this time, it is my pleasure to bring to the podium Mr. James Cherry II, member of the National Alumni Association Board of Directors who will administer the oath of allegiance to the university and Mr. Abdul Rashid's absence. Mr. Cherry? Chancellor Dixon, Board of Trustees, faculty and staff and distinguished guests. Good morning. My name is James Cherry, class of 1996 and president-elect of the National Alumni Association. I send greetings from our current president, Mr. Abdul Rashid, who could not be here this morning. A little over 25 years ago, I stood here as SGA president and spoke about the same thing that Governor Nichols spoke of earlier. Not just being a graduate of Elizabeth City State University, but being an alumnus, giving your time, talent and treasure back to your alma mater. So thank you Governor Dixon for that reinforcement. First of all, I would like to congratulate the four class of 2021. Secondly, just a couple of items in the next couple of weeks you will be receiving a package from the National Alumni Association to your current address of record with your membership card, which is free for your first year. So January 1st, 2022 through December 31st, 2022, you will be a member of the National Alumni Association at the national level. Also in this package, you will be receiving a contact sheet for your local chapters, along with the chapter presidents and their contact information. I would implore you to reach out to them so they can assist you in acclimating to your new environment. And thirdly, I would like for you to strongly consider joining your local chapter of the National Alumni Association. The chapters have three main tenets. First, student recruitment. We want to bring students into Elizabeth City State University to have the same experience I had, you had or possibly even better. Secondly, membership. We look to internally build our own membership. We need the boots on the ground. Simply put, we're stronger with you than without you. And lastly is fundraising. We continue to raise money to support university and foundation initiatives. So if the class of 2021 will please stand, we will administer the oath of allegiance. Please repeat after me. I hereby solemnly pledge unbroken allegiance to my alma mater in appreciation for the opportunities for development afforded me as a student at Elizabeth City State University. I pledge of membership in the National Alumni Association, wherever I may be. Through association with my fellow alumni, I shall forever do my best to uphold the ideals and traditions of my alma mater as a person, to exemplify high ideals during positive and dignified service to the community, state, nation and world living to bring honor and respect to my alma mater. Welcome to fall class of 2021. You may be seated. Thank you, Mr. Cherry. To the fall class of 2021, congratulations graduates. Thank you so much for allowing Elizabeth City State University to be woven into the tapestry of your life. As you go forth, remember that you continue to be ambassadors of ECSU. I encourage you to tell our story, know our story, share your Viking experience with someone so that they will be inspired to sit where you sit now at the threshold of opportunities. You will be successful and I urge you to make a difference. Remember the lessons you learned both in and out of the classroom. Always remember to return to visit your university. I wish you much, much, much success as you continue this life's journey. Congratulations once again. Please stand for the singing of the alma mater conducted by Isaiah Harrison. Thank you. We have come to the conclusion of our ceremony. We ask that everyone remain seated until graduates exit. You will be directed by security. Chancellor Dixon, with your permission, I declare the 173rd Commencement Convocation closed. Let us receive the benediction from Reverend Matt Carroll. Let's give the graduates one more hand. Congratulations, congratulations. Amazing. God has good plans for you. No doubt. God is good. And all the time, I promise the Chancellor I'd be no more than 45 minutes, so let's pray. And so, Heavenly Father, we thank you for this momentous celebration and graduation. I pray that as we leave today, we would leave this place knowing that you have called each and every one of us to do great things. We ask now that you meet every need within our hearts. We know that through you all things are possible and that you can perform exceedingly more than we could ever expect or imagine. We pray today for open doors of favor upon these graduates. We pray for financial blessing upon their homes and we pray that you would be the lamp unto our feet and the light for our path. Bless us as we go in the mighty mattress name of Jesus. Amen, amen and amen.