Candidates from graduate-level programs in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and School of Communications received their diplomas in a joint ceremony May 18 in Alumni Gym.
For the first time, master’s degree candidates from all six of Elon’s graduate-level programs that conclude in the spring received their diplomas in a single Commencement ceremony Wednesday evening in Alumni Gym.
The ceremony recognized graduates from the Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Science in Business Analytics, Master of Science in Management and Master of Business Administration programs in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the Master of Arts in Interactive Media program in the School of Communications; and the Master of Arts in Higher Education program in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. Though they have different professional paths, all of the graduates will embark on the next phase of their journey united in the core tenets of their Elon education.
Kerrie-Jean King G’22 of the Interactive Media program, who was selected to deliver the message of appreciation on behalf of her fellow students, highlighted the common threads the graduates share across their areas of study. They are all lifelong learners who chose to continue their education at Elon, and they would all cross the stage to receive their diplomas and hoods because of their hard work, determination and drive.
“Though we have experienced different majors and concentrations, we have all had the privilege to learn and grow in a resource- and relationship-rich environment,” King said. “This is a campus where people who want to learn don’t just learn but thrive because of the resourcefulness, accessibility and inclusiveness that is Elon.”
King encouraged her fellow graduates to carry the lessons they learned both in and outside the classroom with them as they become leaders in their respective professions and to create the same kind of relationship-driven environment they experienced at Elon in their new workspaces.
“My hope for each of you, as we leave Elon, is that you stay curious,” King said. “Continue to seek out learning opportunities and use the tenacity that you have gained in your graduate studies to propel you forward and make the world a better place.”
Carol Cunningham, vice president of consumer insights and business strategy at BET, also focused on the power of education and human connection in her keynote address to the graduates. Cunningham grew up in Miami with a Cuban mother and a Honduran father who held education and helping others in the highest regard. With an unwavering work ethic, they made sure their family had every opportunity to grow and thrive.
Her father worked numerous shifts at United Airlines and her mother cleaned several convents and priests’ quarters for the Archdiocese of Miami so Cunningham and her siblings could attend Catholic school at a discount. They made sure an encyclopedia set was always in the house. They sponsored all 14 of her father’s siblings for U.S. citizenship and helped family and friends with finances because they epitomized “a spirit of each one, reach one,” a value Cunningham still carries with her.
“I know my life would not have been the same if my mother and father hadn’t come to this country to pursue their dreams,” she said. “James and Estela reminded us daily of what the United States represented for our family, and they had a love for education that was absolutely relentless.”
Cunningham’s career has been driven by a passion for consumer insights, consumer engagement and business strategy. She is fascinated by what makes people tick – their lifestyles, motivations, beliefs and values. That commitment to understanding people drives every facet of her work and has only grown stronger over time.
“If I learned anything from this pandemic, I learned about being an innovative disruptor, curating and creating content for change and doing good, making a connection with others,” Cunningham said. “… I’m challenging you all to speak up, engage and connect with others in a very real and necessary way.”
For the past 18 months, Cunningham has been working with companies such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever and McDonald’s to help them understand how to define their own “brand bravery” and voice to more effectively reach consumers. She quickly realized the same blueprint she developed for brand bravery is equally applicable to human bravery.
“Lead with boldness,” Cunningham said. “Be direct in your intention. Operate with transparency and authenticity. Really embrace being transformative. Always be solutions-oriented; this world is riddled with enough problems. Focus on being an agent of cultural change. … Embrace your love truths and find your soul’s force. Walk connected to others by unifying and amplifying your voices so that they’re embodying the spirit of each one, reach one.”
In her charge to the graduates, President Connie Ledoux Book urged them to be resilient and steadfast like the oaks for which Elon is named. The oak, she said, symbolizes Elon’s community strength – a strength that now resides within the graduates as they begin a new chapter.
“I hope that each time you see an acorn or an oak tree … you are reminded of the personal leadership that you have developed during your studies at Elon,” Book said, “strength and skills that I’m counting on you to use to make a difference in our world.”
Candidates for the Master of Science in Accounting Degree
Dean Anthony Anzalone
Jacob Mark Bicknell
John Francis Carro
Carson Prado Jones
Taylor Nicole Kassay
Joshua Kyle Lim
Sarah Jane McCarthy
Kaitlyn Paige Moonsammy
Ciara Therese Mottley
Bennett James O’Brien
Giavanna Lucia Papavero
Nick Stewart
Ryan Stolba
Aisling P. Sullivan
Leah Nicole Traumuller
Candidates for the Master of Science in Business Analytics Degree
Ahmed Alsaba
Suma Amujuri
Wai Yee Irene Chiu
Matthew Jacob Edsall
Maxwell James Ferrari
Kyle Fränkel
Graham Oliver Hutchinson
Frank John Iacobell
Sumera Ingram
Tristan Michael Mazzulli
Israel Jacob Pattison
Alexander Hampton Taylor
Adel Vadkerti
Candidates for the Master of Science in Management
Catherine Christina Parsons
Candidates for the Master of Business Administration
Hunter Alexander Hampton Amos
M. Corey Bell Jr.
Ashley Nicole Capps
Henry T. Carkhuff
Salvatore Catapano
Steven E. Devane
Hannah Doherty
Derrick Durbin
Kengnjisu Fon-Ndikum
Brandon Rayjohn Freeman
Nicole Garcia Jorge
Alisha Brianna Harris
Blaise Andrew Haubert
Rynita Julien
Akinsola A. Kayode
Mark Allen Leath
Rosita Littlejohn
Graham Morris
Mark Edward Morton Jr.
Blanca Iris Padilla
McKenna B. Quinn
Benjamin Taylor Richardson
Charles Robert Rizzo
Eric Paul Roman
Chadbourne Mark Rumley
Nichole Skjerbek
Emily Elizabeth Squicciarini
James Tyrell Stanley Sr.
Michael Tanner Strickland
Victoria Waddell
Erica Walsh
Mary Margaret Welker
Donovan Miles Rivera Williams
Candidates for the Master of Arts in Interactive Media Degree
Diamond Alea Carroll
Zack Benjamin Fertig
Kerrie-Jean King
Savannah Starr Knight
Julia Ann Kocsis
Doo Young Lee
Christina Suzanne Marchand
Ana Luisa Martinez-Valles
Daniela Sanchez Romero
Alyssa Leticia Sandy
Emma Rae Sisk
Tyrell Kelvin Smalls
Ivana Danielle Spurlock
Sophia Jacqueline Theriault
Master of Arts in Interactive Media Class of 2020 Graduates in Attendance
Kwame Amponsah
Rakhia Ardasia Bass
Tabari Jamaal Boykin
William Arthur Brown
Arlette Danielle Hawkins
Michael David Hemstreet
Tehya Rashan Jackson
Victoria Elise Murrell
Candidates for the Master of Arts in Higher Education
Chanece Lenae Bigelow
Nicholas John Boudreau
Casey Madeline Enright
Corinna Marie Fonseca
Jenna Catherine Gibilisco
Allison Elizabeth Mannai
Emilie Phyllis Newman
Norma Edith Rodriguez
Brianna Monique Torres
Mallory Nicole Williams
Jamie Juno Wire
Nelson Rafael Ysabel