Commencement 2024: Celebrating 100,000 Graduates

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Posted on December 13, 2024

Jeb Schrenk

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Photo Finish: 100 memorable moments during Fall Commencement.

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Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson offered University of South Alabama graduates five keys to success, while encouraging them to continue to grow through personal and literary connections, at a Fall Commencement that celebrated South鈥檚 surpassing 100,000 graduates.

Friday鈥檚 ceremony at the 91短视频 Mitchell Center recognized 1,348 degree candidates, who were showered with confetti and streamers at the end of the ceremony. Graduates exited the arena with Mobile鈥檚 Excelsior Band and South musicians playing 鈥淒o Whatcha Wanna.鈥�

Among Stimpson鈥檚 remarks:

鈥淛ust remember, your diploma only opens the door to employment. Your success will depend upon five things which you control 鈥� your character, integrity, work ethic, courage and how you treat people.鈥�

Get ready for risks and rewards.

鈥淣o matter what your station in life or your occupation, your story is still being written. Your very presence here is testimony to your desire for self-improvement. Going forward the rewards may become greater, but so do the risks. It takes vision to avoid ambushes and preparation to seize opportunities. The process doesn鈥檛 stop with receiving your diploma.鈥�

Stimpson met with 15 graduating students before writing his speech.

鈥淭hese students represented a cross section of your class 鈥� adult learners, athletes, artists, international students, teachers, as well as working professionals. Some were in their early 20s, and some were more seasoned like President (Jo) Bonner and myself.

鈥淎 few common denominators 鈥� all were here with the thought of bettering their current station in life; all could single out a professor who meant a lot; all expressed great appreciation for the University in general; and almost all loved the beauty of the campus. 鈥�

鈥淏ased on our conversations, if I were the accrediting agency for the University, South Alabama would receive the highest of scores. Kudos to President Bonner, the administration and the faculty.鈥�

The lead-up to Stimpson running for mayor in 2013 included a brief conversation three years earlier.

鈥淚n 2010, I had just finished a speech at the Business Council of Alabama鈥檚 annual meeting. Afterward, someone asked, 鈥楽andy, when are you running for governor?鈥�

鈥淚 told them I wasn鈥檛 running for anything. They turned to my wife, Jean, and asked, 鈥榃hen is he running for governor?鈥� To which she said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know, but he will be married to his second wife when he does.鈥�

鈥淧rior to this chance encounter, my thoughts and conversations about running for office were fleeting. But that simple question caused us to have more serious discussions, which led to a sea of change in our lives. This person wasn鈥檛 someone I was hanging out with, but he saw and heard something and encouraged me to stretch my own limited thoughts.鈥�

Books can be life-changing. Just read the right ones.

鈥淓ven when you think you have it all together, there are things which, when read, will change the focus of your life. Your life is a story, and as long as you are living, it continues to be written. 鈥�

鈥淚f you鈥檙e not enjoying what you鈥檙e reading, you鈥檙e reading the wrong books.鈥�

Some suggestions:

• 鈥淚f you want to learn about the single most important building block for the quality of life of an individual, a team, a company or nation, read 鈥楾he Case for Character鈥� by former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Drayton Nabors.鈥�
• 鈥淚f you want to read something to challenge our conventional ways of thinking, read books by Malcolm Gladwell.鈥�
• 鈥淚f you want to read something that is really funny and will make you laugh, read 鈥楩orrest Gump鈥� by Winston Groom.鈥�
• 鈥淚f you want a twofer, about wisdom and leadership, get John Maxwell鈥檚 鈥楲eadership Bible鈥� and read his annotations about leadership.鈥�

Charge forward, but keep your ears open.  

鈥淕raduates, for some of you, there is a call upon your life. For others, there鈥檚 a dream to be fulfilled. Don鈥檛 let naysayers thwart either. Persevere. Seek wisdom. Start your day in prayer. Read and listen to books that will bring positive changes to your personal relationships. Learn from the mistakes of others. Choose your friends wisely. Listen to the counsel of wise men and women. If you counsel with only yourself, your decisions will be based on what you already know, and even the most educated and knowledgeable people are capable of making disastrous decisions.鈥�

Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Andi Kent:

鈥淚t is indeed a special day 鈥� one in which our students will become alumni 鈥� and making today extra special is this year, at this Fall 2024 Commencement, we recognize our 100,000th alumnus of the University of South Alabama.

鈥淎nd rather than identify one of you who earned that status as our 100,000th graduate, you can 鈥� as a class 鈥� be credited with helping chisel this historic moment into the history of the University.鈥�

President Jo Bonner:

鈥淎 big congratulations to our Class of 2024. You represent yourselves, your fellow graduates and over 100,000 alumni of the Flagship of the Gulf Coast. 鈥�

鈥淚 often like to tell our graduates that today is just the beginning. While commencement represents the end of your journey to this degree, the beginning starts now for so many other things in life. It may be graduate school; it may be service to your country in the military, a career or some other opportunity to contribute. 鈥� It's also the beginning for us, too. Because 100,000 graduates makes for a mighty strong foundation on which to build. I hope you each continue on your journey and allow us to always be a part of it.鈥�

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As we celebrate the 100,000 graduates who have shaped the legacy of the University of South Alabama, we invite you to give back and support the next generation of students. Your contribution helps ensure our legacy of excellence continues to grow. Give online today and make an impact: SouthAlabama.edu/100K

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