More than 400 Rattlers enter alumni ranks

More than 400 graduates of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) celebrated years of hard work during the Summer Commencement Ceremony Friday evening in the Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.

While addressing the new FAMU alumni, James E. Nevels, J.D., chair of The Swarthmore Group, and commencement speaker emphasized the importance of graduates incorporating service in everything they do.

“Excellence With Caring” is another name for service,” Nevels said. “Your service after you depart this place will benefit the brand of FAMU and those who follow you,” he added.

With more than 36 years in the securities and investment business, Nevels founded The Swarthmore Group in 1991 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The firm is currently one of the largest minority-owned investment advisors in the country, managing approximately $2.1 billion in institutional assets for a diverse group of clients.

During his remarks Nevels proclaimed to graduates that the impossible is indeed possible through hard work with the end goal in focused plain sight.

“It does not matter where you came from graduates, it’s where you end up, and in the process of going there you must serve. Just remember your parents, your teachers, the faculty members and others who have supported you and served you well,” Nevels said.

Prior to the ceremony’s conclusion, Interim President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., issued a fitting challenge for the graduates to use the lessons learned from overcoming obstacles faced while pursuing their respective degrees.

“Remember what it is like to stretch yourselves intellectually, to take on something truly difficult, bring it to successful completion, and seek new opportunities to learn and to grow throughout your lives,” Robinson said.

With summer commencement complete, the 2017-2018 academic year will officially begin during the new term. Fall classes will begin at FAMU on August 28.