Southwest Salutes 1,179 Students During 2024 Graduation
By Lynn Maples
Reginald W. Coopwood, CEO of Regional One Health,
delivers the commencement address to the Class of 2024.
Southwest Tennessee Community College held its annual commencement ceremony on May 8, 2024, at the Lander’s Center in Southaven, Mississippi.
The event marked a significant milestone for 1,179 graduates who completed their academic journey and stepped into the next phase of their lives.
Carol Ash, vice president of academic affairs and workforce development, presented the graduating class to faculty members and families, highlighting 398 students recognized for academic distinction for grade point averages between 3.25 and 4.0.
“To the class of 2024, I have three simple words— you made it,” said President Tracy D. Hall. “You made it this far through your perseverance and determination; through those efforts, we congratulate you on this significant milestone.”
Two additional annual distinctions were presented: Lisa Hadley, professor of business and legal studies, was named 2024 Alumna of the Year, and Mahmuda Sultana, professor of mathematics, received the 2024 William W. Farris Faculty Service Award.
Nacaria Royal, the 2024 commencement speaker,
receives her degree from President
Tracy D. Hall.
Classmate Nacaria Royal delivered the student's address, sharing her experience as a troubled high school student and college dropout and offering advice. “I accepted the lies spun by others who labeled me stupid or not good enough,” she said. “However, standing before you today, I defied those falsehoods.”
She acknowledged that many graduating had overcome obstacles others would have seen as too big to overcome: poverty-stricken backgrounds, childhood trauma, academic challenges, parenthood, failed relationships, mental health issues, toxicity, and the burdens of family expectations.
“Yet, despite it all, here you stand…resilient,” she said, comparing graduates to a rose growing from adverse conditions to bloom and thrive. “As you embark on a new chapter, I challenge you to reach for the sun with limitless determination. Remember the rose that grew from concrete. It’s resilience. Embrace your resilience and bloom.”
Royal will attend the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where she will pursue a degree in social work and attend Howard University to pursue a law degree.
Dr. Reginald W. Coopwood echoed Royal’s sentiment during his commencement speech as this year’s guest speaker. “Three simple words – vision, plan, and execution,” he told students regarding how to prepare for what is next in their lives. “The mere fact you are sitting here proves these three words true. Get up and do something to make something happen. Say to yourself: I will, I can, I am.”
Coopwood has been the president and CEO at Regional One Health since 2010 and is lauded for his commitment to the health and well-being of the individuals in Memphis and the Mid-South.
To view the 2024 commencement, click here.