FAMU recognizes graduates at College of Law Hooding Ceremony

Before more than 2,000 family members and guests, the FAMU College of Law’s Hooding Class of 2015 took an additional step toward fulfilling aspirations three to four years in the making.

The Annual Hooding Ceremony took place at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, May 9, 2015, where more than 150 candidates ceremoniously received the doctoral hood for the juris doctor degree.

The event marked the first time a hooding, or graduation-styled ceremony was held at the new center.

The ceremony, which represented the largest contingency of FAMU undergraduates to date, recognized graduates and candidates from the fall 2014, spring 2015, and summer 2015 classes. Candidates for spring 2015 had their juris doctor degrees conferred a week prior in Tallahassee, Fla. at the University’s commencement exercises on May 2, 2015. Many fall 2014 graduates who participated in the Hooding Ceremony had already taken – and passed – the February Florida Bar Exam, or bar exams in other states.

Stephan Krejci, who attended Knox College as a double major in chemistry and biochemistry, was recognized as the 2015 valedictorian, graduating summa cum laude among a field of candidates that featured 35 honors graduates, including two magna cum laude, and 32 cum laude graduates. Katia Wilson, who received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from FAMU, was also recognized for her service as outgoing Student Bar Association (SBA) president. Wilson entered the College of Law with the first group of FAMU All-Stars, prospective law students who were recruited from FAMU’s main campus. She also carries the distinction as the first female “double-Rattler” SBA president.

American Bar Association President-Elect Paulette Brown, who serves as a labor and employment partner and chief diversity officer with the Morristown, New Jersey office of Locke Lord Edwards, provided the keynote address with an overall theme imploring the soon-to-be attorneys to pursue justice for everyone. Brown remained on stage to greet each candidate as they were hooded, joining her was FAMU President Elmira Mangum, FAMU Trustee Bettye Grable, and FAMU College of Law Dean LeRoy Pernell.

Associate Dean Darryll Jones announced each candidate as they were hooded by FAMU College of Law Faculty of the Year honoree and Associate Professor Nicola Boothe-Perry. Boothe-Perry was selected as faculty member of the year through a general election by the law student body.

The 2015 hooding class named the student speaker Lauren Schroeder, who enthusiastically congratulated her fellow classmates on completing the juris doctor degree. Schroeder received her undergraduate degree from Birmingham Southern College, and served as 2014-2015 SBA vice president. Additional law student speakers included Kayla Barnett, who served as the 2015 student graduation chair for SBA, and Shaun McCleave, who provided the opening meditation.

The next step for many will be the bar exams in July.