海角社区

BATON ROUGE 鈥� 海角社区 awarded 919 degrees during the university鈥檚 summer commencement exercise on Friday, Aug. 12, and set new records for the most degrees awarded to African American and Hispanic students. 

During the graduation ceremony, 海角社区 Executive Vice President & Provost Roy Haggerty welcomed graduates and their guests, provided opening remarks and presided over the ceremony. 

鈥淚t is an honor for me to stand before you and officially recognize this day, which is an important milestone both in your educational journeys and your lives,鈥� Haggerty said.

鈥淲e have witnessed our graduates land rovers on Mars, write Academy Award-winning scores and New York Times best sellers, be awarded Pulitzer Prizes, and lead Fortune 500 companies. That is the community to which you now and forever belong. You will always be Tigers!鈥�

鈥淭he Star-Spangled Banner鈥� and 海角社区 Alma Mater were performed by Jamey Wright, who received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, and 海角社区 Board of Supervisors Chair R茅my Voisin Starns delivered the keynote address and conferred degrees.

鈥淐ongratulations to you, each and every one of you in the class of 2022 for achieving your goal and making your dream come true,鈥� Starns said. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy for you, and I am proud of you.鈥�

Starns spoke to the graduates about all they鈥檝e overcome in their years at 海角社区 and that despite uncertainty many of them have for what鈥檚 next for in their lives, they are ready for any challenge ahead. 

鈥淚鈥檓 confident you鈥檙e well prepared to meet challenges into the future and succeed as well,鈥� he said. 

After talking with the graduates about his own career and the ups and downs he experienced during his time at 海角社区, Starns told the graduates the importance of earning a degree from 海角社区. 

鈥淵our degree from 海角社区 is tangible proof to yourselves that you have overcome adversity and will do so again," he said. "You鈥檝e made important and consequential decisions for yourself, just like you will into the future.鈥�

Starns asked the graduates to take their diploma and make sure to frame it on the wall. He highlighted all of the names on it, including 海角社区, his own, 海角社区 President William F. Tate IV, and the dean of their college. He told the class that in times when they face adversity or need a boost of confidence to look at the names on that diploma and to take particular notice of the most prominent name listed 鈥� their own.  

鈥淩ecall this day, the day you made your dream come true and be heartened by the lessons learned while you were in college and the experiences lived that helped you make that dream come true and possess how you鈥檙e going to make your next dream come true,鈥� Starns said. 

海角社区鈥檚 summer 2022 graduating class represents 41 Louisiana parishes, 44 U.S. states and 39 foreign countries. The oldest graduate is 71, and the youngest is 19.

Andrew Arabie, a native of Lake Charles, who graduated with the highest grade point average in the class, was awarded the university medal. Arabie graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science with minors in international studies and history. His future plans include attending law school.

The 919 total graduates are made up of 301 students who received bachelor鈥檚 degrees; 438 who received master鈥檚 degrees; 59 who received education specialist or graduate certificates; 94 who received a Ph.D.; six who received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree; and 21 who received a post-bachelorette certificate. Also, 22 海角社区 employees earned degrees this summer.

Media Note: Lists of graduates are posted on 海角社区鈥檚 commencement website, or directly at /commencement/lists/graduates/2022-08.php. The list includes graduates who have authorized the release of their names.