In her remarks to Coastal Carolina University's Class of 2017, commencement speaker Amber J. Campbell encouraged graduates to be true to themselves and their own course in life instead of relying too much on conventional wisdom.

"Don't listen to 'they,' because 'they' will tell you all kinds of things," said Campbell, an Olympic athlete and 2004 CCU graduate. " 'They' don't always have your best interests at heart. 'They' will try to talk you out of your dream. 'They' will tell you that what you're pursuing doesn't make sense or that the career you chose is too obscure… Meanwhile, you might end up a three-time Olympian and travel the world!

"Failure is not always a bad thing. Failure is only true failure if you don't continue to try again. You can literally fail your way up to your biggest success. Don't let 'they' determine your course of action. Listen to that little small voice that the creator put inside all of us that speaks to the positivity and the greatness of each one of you."

Approximately 1,145 students were eligible to walk in CCU's spring graduation exercises, held on campus in the HTC Student Recreation and Convocation Center in three separate ceremonies: two on Friday, May 5, and one on Saturday, May 6.

Campbell was presented the honorary degree, Doctor of Science, during the ceremony on Friday evening. Also receiving honorary degrees are William H. "Billy" Alford (Doctor of Public Service) and Robert W. Honeycutt (Doctor of Science).

Ten students received the President's Award for Academic Achievement, which recognizes students with the highest cumulative grade point averages. The recipients of the award all had perfect 4.0 grade point averages, graduating summa cum laude: Brooke Nicole Anderson, a marine science major of New Market, Md., Kaitlyn Larue Benson, a biology major of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Hannah Grace Eells, an early childhood education major of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Marissa Danielle Green, a finance major of Conway, S.C.; Geoffrey Lewis Guyette, a management and finance major of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; William Tyler Kirby, a computer science major of Kingstree, S.C.; Mary Hannah Lewis, Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre arts major of Colleyville, Texas; Francesco Migliano, an economics major of Conway, S.C.; Margaret Sheridan Wright, an elementary education major of Sparks Glencoe, Md.; and Lauren Alexis Young, a management major of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Also during the Friday evening ceremony, graduating senior and cadet Samuel Wheatley received his commission as second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Ten retiring CCU faculty members were recognized for their service: John Beard, Jeanne Cobb, Elizabeth Keller, Paul Olsen, Linda J. Palm, Joan F. Piroch, Eldred E. "Wink" Prince Jr., Nelljean Rice, Kenneth Townsend and Nicholas Twigg.