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Commencement

2024 Commencement Information

Congratulations!!! You have reached a milestone in your academic career - graduation. You came into this institution ready to learn, ready to move from good to great, and now we will announce to the world that you have achieved your goal.

The following is a list of the 2024 Commencement activities for Undergraduates (Traditional and Non-traditional) and Graduates. Following the list are details on each event that you will find helpful as you prepare to celebrate your graduation from Johnson C. Smith University.

Information for Seniors
Reunion Weekend
Watch Baccalaureate Service
Speaker
 Dr. Michaela O’Neal Farmer, ‘96 headshot
Baccalaureate Speaker

This year's Baccalaureate Speaker will be JCSU alumnus Dr. Michaela O’Neal Farmer, ‘96. 

Dr. Farmer's Bio

 

Commencement

Sunday, May 19, 2024
11 a.m.*
Bojangles Coliseum
*Graduates must assemble at 9 a.m. at Bojangles Coliseum
 

The Commencement Ceremonies will be streamed live via JCSU's YouTube Channel

 

Bag policy and prohibited items at Commencement Ceremonies

Attention Guest and Graduates

For security and courtesy purposes, the following items WILL NOT be permitted into Bojangles Coliseum

Air Horns, Backpacks, Balloons, Duffel Bags, Large Gifts, Noise Makers, Outside Food and Beverages.

Approved Bags: Any non-clear bags that do not exceed 4.5” x 6.5” in size, which is approximately the size of a hand bag with or without a handle/strap, such as a small clutch purse. Clear bags that do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”. 

Prohibited Bags: Any non-clear bag larger than 4.5” x 6.5” and clear bags larger than 12” x 6” x 12” are not allowed. 

*All permitted items inside the venue are subject to search upon entry and at any point while on Bojangles Entertainment Complex property. Exceptions can be made upon request for medically necessary items. Please call us at 704.372.3600 to arrange for medical exceptions in advance.*

Bojangles Bag policy
Speaker
 Georgia Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock Headshot
Georgia Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock

Georgia Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock will be the keynote speaker at Johnson C. Smith University’s 151st Commencement Exercises. Johnson C. Smith University President, Dr. Valerie Kinloch, made the announcement during her Inauguration Ceremony as the 15th President of JCSU, Friday, April 5, 2024. 

Read more
Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock Bio

Great Graduates

Saeed Dupree

Valedictorian: Saeed Dupree

Saeed Dupree is a scholar-athlete with an emphasis on “scholar.” The Biology and Chemistry double major is the Class of 2024 valedictorian.
John Josiah

Salutatorian: John Josiah

John Josiah never thought he could make an impact beyond the borders of his hometown of Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Several years after coming to America, a place where he had no immediate family or support system, Josiah will cross the stage as the salutatorian of the Class of 2024.
Sydlie Fleurimond

Sydlie Fleurimond

Sydlie Fleurimond boldly decided to leave her small town of Hamden, Conn., and travel more than 11 hours away to attend Johnson C. Smith University. What started as a love for the family-oriented environment and the track and field program developed into endless opportunities for Fleurimond.
Jackson Kakwenya

Jackson Kakwenya

Johnson C. Smith University appealed to Jackson Kakwenya, a native of Lusaka, Zambia, for a number of reasons. Not only was he interested in its closeness to the heart of Charlotte, N.C., but it also offered him the support he needed to thrive.
Samantha Baldwin

Samantha Baldwin

Samantha Baldwin knew that she wanted to attend an HBCU to further her studies, and she knew she found the right one when she discovered JCSU.
Tanaka Mbavarira

Tanaka Mbavarira

As a child growing up in Bukawayo, Zimbabwe Tanaka Mbavarira knew that his home country had a lot to offer including 7 public universities, but his country did not have a lot of experiential learning opportunities. He dreamed of pursing higher education in the United States.
Cierra Carter

Cierra Carter

As a junior in high school, Cierra Carter traveled from Saint Paul, Minn., to tour Johnson C. Smith University’s campus. She fell in love immediately but ultimately was influenced to start her collegiate journey at Tennessee State University.
Gabrielle Hall

Gabrielle Hall

Gabrielle Hall, a Psychology major with a minor in Communications Arts from Lexington, N.C., first learned about JCSU through her high school’s band program in the 90s. After high school, though, Hall joined the military and raised her children as a single parent. She decided to pursue her own degree at JCSU after putting each of her children through college and becoming an empty nester.
Kofi Asafu-Adjaye

Kofi Asafu-Adjaye

Kofi Asafu-Adjaye has uniquely served as a member of the Royal Court since his sophomore year, when he was finally able to step onto campus after stay-at-home orders shuttered the doors of several colleges, including Johnson C. Smith University.
LaChunda Hunter

LaChunda Hunter

LaChunda Hunter, a Charlotte, N.C. native, faced wave upon wave of uncertainty when she decided to return to school for the first time since 1996. As a divorced, 42-year-old, single mother of two, Hunter felt the pull to further her career by pursuing her undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a minor in Management at Johnson C. Smith University.

Convocation Links

Information for Seniors