Thousands of local college seniors walked across the graduation stage Saturday morning in ceremonies in Virginia and North Carolina.
For the class of 2024, college wasn't an easy start. Many spent their freshman year learning virtually during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, they're taking their first steps into the professional world.
At Old Dominion University, family and friends packed S.B. Ballard Stadium as more than 2,000 prepared to graduate. These trailblazers in virtual education heard from a trailblazer in the U.S. Navy.
Capt. Janet Days, an ODU graduate and the first Black woman to be Commanding Officer of Naval Station Norfolk, gave students a lesson in leadership.
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“You can have it all but not all at the same time. Life requires sequencing, personal and professional balance. Find the right equilibrium requires regular reflection. Be honest with yourself," she told them.
Across town, another trailblazer, Virginia Del. Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) spoke to more than 600 graduates at Norfolk State University.
The HBCU invited Scott to share his journey to becoming the first African American Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates earlier this year.
“When you bet on yourself, believe in yourself. You are good enough. You are more than enough. I’m only here because those who came before me paved the way, those giants," said Scott.
In Virginia Beach, more than 2,300 undergrads and graduate students received diplomas at Regent University.
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There, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares — the first Hispanic American elected to state office — encouraged graduates to keep their faith at the forefront in finding their purpose, just as he did in deciding to run for Attorney General.
“Anchoring in your faith means you will have to listen to God’s calling even if it means for you to do things that you never thought was possible," Miyares told the audience.
In North Carolina, Elizabeth City State University held its 178th commencement ceremony with NFL veteran Antoine Bethea serving as speaker.
Bethea, a Newport News native, shared how he overcame his own and others' doubts to be drafted into the league and in continuing to find success post-football.
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“Some of you sitting in those seats, you know what kind of path you’re going to go down. Some of you are still trying to figure it out, but one thing I’ve learned along the way is there’s no timetable for success," he said.
No timetable for success, but with a diploma in hand, the opportunities could be endless.
