Coastal Carolina University hosted two commencement ceremonies today for Fall 2021 graduates at the HTC Student Recreation and Convocation Center. CCU President Michael T. Benson, who was officially sworn in as the University’s third president during an 11 a.m. ceremony, addressed the graduates at both ceremonies.

Approximately 660 students were eligible to participate in the exercises. The 2 p.m. ceremony recognized graduates of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration and the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. The 6 p.m. ceremony recognized graduates of the Gupta College of Science and the Spadoni College of Education and Social Sciences.

The president shared words from some of his favorite scholars and leaders throughout history as well as the history of the University in his joint inaugural and commencement address.

“On this beautiful December day, I hope we will all take a moment and reflect on the bounties of life and the many opportunities afforded us by having access to education – the great equalizer – as Horace Mann called it,” he said. “America may have many deficits and deficiencies, but our colleges and universities are the crown jewel of this nation and the best the United States has to offer.

“Today marks a terminus in your degree completion, but it also signifies an entire life ahead of you filled with learning and exposure to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences. Never stop learning, and never shy away from those opportunities to stretch your mind.

“College is what you students have made of it. My hope is that you have availed yourselves of every possible opportunity the University could provide. You have been instructed, mentored, and assisted by committed faculty and staff. These relationships will continue past your time as full-time students as you are now part of the Coastal Carolina alumni family. We hope you will come back often to your Conway home away from home!

Benson shared with the students his focus on Coastal’s three R’s – reach, rigor, and reputation – to continue to make the University the best it can be.

“We exist as an institution to deliver an education for our students,” he said. “Everything else is ancillary, and it is incumbent upon us to make sure we are doing right by our students and their parents, and our constituents. The ultimate yardstick of a university is not the type of student it admits, but rather the kind of graduate it produces.”

Benson acknowledged the tremendous growth of the University since its founding in 1954, highlighting achievements in academics, enrollment, advancement, and inclusion. In closing, he encouraged graduates and members of Teal Nation to be enthusiastically involved in the University’s future.

“Now is the moment to take advantage of our momentum and take—together—another quantum leap forward. We look backward and are amazed at how far we’ve come, but the horizon ahead is bound only by our lack of vision and enthusiasm. And we refuse to be limited.”

Six students received the President’s Award for Academic Achievement, which recognizes graduates with the highest cumulative grade point averages. The award recipients all have perfect 4.0 GPAs, graduating summa cum laude: Adam Allen, economics, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Wayne Alan Cockfield, music, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Katielynn Grace Holodook, history, Conway, S.C.; Ardit Hushi, marketing, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Jaren Samuel McQueen, management, Galivants Ferry, S.C.; and Megan Elizabeth Walter, history, Conway, S.C.

Deborah C. Breede, Ph.D., professor of communication in the Edwards College; and Dianne L. Hall Mark, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Foundations, Curriculum, and Instruction and former dean of the Spadoni College; were honored with distinguished professor status. George Lyerly Jr., Ph.D., former associate professor of exercise and sport science in the Gupta College, was posthumously honored with emeritus professor status.