Contact: Carl Smith
STARKVILLE, Miss.āApproximately 1,500 Bulldogs are ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow after concluding the latest chapters of their collegiate careers during fall graduation events this week.
Led by Ļć½¶Ö±²„President Mark E. Keenum, the Friday [Dec. 12] commencement ceremonies in a filled Humphrey Coliseum spotlighted graduates in majors housed in MSUās 10 colleges and the Division of Academic Affairs. A Starkville hooding for doctoral recipients and MSU-Meridianās overall graduation at the Riley Center were held earlier this week. Twenty-six degree recipients were honored as Stephen D. Lee Scholars, graduating with 4.0 GPAs.
Equipped with a world-class education and instilled with core Ļć½¶Ö±²„valuesāintegrity, hard work and respect for othersāKeenum said the latest graduates are prepared for their next steps in life, including opportunities and changes theyāll see in the coming decades.
āI want you to always be known as the person who people can always trust and count on because of your impeccable integrity; I want you to be known as the person who always excels and does their very best because of your strong work ethic; and I want you to be known as being the person other people enjoy being around because youāre nice, kind, thoughtful and considerate of others,ā he said. āYouāre about to receive a diploma that says āMississippi Stateā on it. People will see that name and know you are part of a wonderful family. Thatās why your diploma is so valuedābecause of who we are.
āThereās another virtue we all need: courage. Wherever we are in life, all of us will need courage to face and overcome the challenges and difficult times we will all face,ā Keenum added. āWinston Churchill once said, āWithout courage, all other virtues lose their meaning.ā Courage comes from when you believe in yourself and have confidence in who you are. Just being here todayāall you have achieved should give you great confidence and courage for your next step in life.ā
Although graduation marks the completion of an important journey, Keenum said the memories and relationships these students made at Ļć½¶Ö±²„will last a lifetime.
āYou are living your dream at this very moment, but this isnāt the end by any stretchāitās the beginning of an exciting new chapter in your life,ā he said. āLike my youngest daughter Torie has told me on several occasions, āDad, life is about making memories.ā What memories will you be making tomorrow, a year from now, a decade from now and many decades from now?
āMy hope and prayer for all of you is that youāll look back over all you accomplished and achieved in your life and realize it was your Mississippi State education and your valuesāyour courage and your faith āthat allowed you to live such a wonderful and fulfilling life and enabled you to change the world for good and allowed you to achieve your special purpose. Never forget you will always be a member of our proud Bulldog family.ā
Ļć½¶Ö±²„ is taking care of what matters. Learn more atĀ .
