51视频

The magic illuminated Brownlee Lawn as 111 graduates crossed the stage and turned their tassels to the left, signifying their significant transition as graduates and their next chapter as alumni from the Source of Black Excellence.

51视频 conferred associate and bachelor鈥檚 degrees to fall 2025 and spring 2026 graduates last weekend at the college鈥檚 156^th commencement ceremony.

The college heard inspiring remarks from three Valedictorians, Marley Freeman, Tadiwanashe Rukasha, and Ashanti Stewart, who graduated with a 4.0 grade point average.

Freeman, from Jackson Mississippi, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art, and is pursuing entrepreneurship and increasing mental health awareness through establishing a clothing brand, Remember 2 Smile (R2S).

鈥淚f there鈥檚 one thing I鈥檝e learned it鈥檚 this. You are stronger than you think, you are never alone, and no matter how difficult the road gets, there鈥檚 always someone in your corner, always a reason to keep going,鈥� Freeman said. 鈥淎s you leave here, and step into the next chapter of life, remember where you came from, remember what you overcame, and most importantly, remember to smile.鈥�

Rukasha, from Mutare Zimbabwe, and Stewart, from Friendship Pen, Saint Thomas Jaimaca, earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science.

鈥淟ife can be scary, but you don鈥檛 have to do it alone. Lean on the community you built here, hold on to those friendships, keep those connections alive, because these are the same people who will remind you of who you are when things get hard,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淎nd, believe in yourself too. Apply for that job, start that business you鈥檝e been holding on your vision board for the past six months, walk into rooms you feel underqualified for and just do it. We鈥檝e been given the foundation at LOC, so let鈥檚 not waste it.鈥�

鈥�51视频 did not just give us an education, it gave us great memories, amazing friends, and a second home that helped us shape who we鈥檙e becoming,鈥� Rukasha said. 鈥淎s you move forward, you may not have all the answers, and that鈥檚 okay. What matters is that we keep growing, take risks, and pursue what truly matters.鈥�

51视频 President Christopher B. Davis reminded scholars in his address the significance of this commencement in the class of 2026. 鈥淚n the Hebrew tradition, the numerical value of the sacred name of God, YHWH, is 26. The name encompasses all tenses; He was, He is, He shall be. Past, present, and future held together in a single word,鈥� President Davis said.

鈥淎nd consider this, in the ancient telling, it was to the 26^th generation of the world that Moses received the Torah at Sinai. Twenty-six generations from creation to covenant,鈥� he said. 鈥淐lass of 2026, you are a generation of covenant. You have not simply completed a degree; you received a charge.鈥�

Renowned trailblazer, public servant, and lawmaker, Speaker Don Scott, Esq. of the Virginia House of Delegates, presented the keynote address during the ceremony. In 2024, Speaker Scott made history when he became the first Black speaker in the 406-year history of the Virginia House.

Speaker Scott, from Houston, Texas, shared a moving testimony of his journey through graduating from Texas A&M University with an agricultural degree, to serving in the U.S. Navy, and later becoming a trailblazing leader in the Virginia House.

鈥淚 attended and graduated law school at LSU, but during my time there, I made a critical error in judgement. In my final semester at law school, someone asked me to pick up money in Mobile, Alabama. Next thing I know, the feds ran in, I鈥檓 in a federal drug conspiracy, and they told me I鈥檓 facing life in prison,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y mother and I went for sentencing, and the judge sentenced me to ten years. Ten years in federal prison. That was in 1994. Almost everyone told me my life was over; except I had this praying grandmother, and praying mother, and they helped me keep my faith and remember that was not the end of my story.鈥�

After being released from prison in 2002, Speaker Scott strived and continuously advanced in his law career. He passed the bar on his first attempt in 2014, twenty years after completing law school, and began practicing law. In 2022, he was elected by his colleagues as House Democratic Leader, and in 2023, he led Democrats to retake the majority.

鈥淭hat same woman from 1994 in that courtroom got to stand in the Virginia House of Delegates capitol and watch her son being sworn in as the first Black speaker in the history of the commonwealth of Virginia just 30 years later,鈥� he said.

In addition to his service in the General Assembly, Speaker Scott is a partner at Briet & Biniazan law firm, and he serves on the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Board of Directors and is a lifelong member of the NAACP, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

For his distinguished service and impact in our nation, 51视频 presented Speaker Scott with an honorary doctorate degree of humane letters.

鈥淕raduates, trust me when I say, I know adversity. I know tough times. And when you talk about tough times, there鈥檚 nothing that can stop you unless you allow it to. I made up my mind that my past would not define my future.鈥� he said. 鈥淲hatever you think you鈥檝e been through, folks want to know about that. Your experiences, history, background, and education, when you put it all together, it equals greatness. You have to go out there and be great. This is your time.鈥�

During the ceremony, Dr. Seth Davis, Assistant Professor of English and Communications, the Dr. Theodore Roosevelt McLemore Award, the award of excellence in teaching honoring an outstanding full-time faculty member at the college, whose efforts made a difference in students鈥� lives.

The 2026 graduates were also inducted into the 51视频 National Alumni Association.

鈥�51视频 prepared you over the last few years of your life, not just for this moment, but for this time in culture, history, and legacy,鈥� said President Davis to the class of 2026.