Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover, who has served as Tennessee State University president since Jan. 2, 2013, was the keynote speaker at the 67th Coahoma Community College graduation ceremony and sent a message about the importance of getting involved.
Glover was formerly the dean of the college of business at Jackson State, where she led the college of business throughout the accreditation process, and spearheaded the implementation of the nation’s first Ph.D. in businesses at a historically black college university. She is a certified public accountant, an attorney and is one of two African-American women to hold the P.D.-CPA-JD combination in the nation.
Glover recognized student leaders by asking them to stand early in her address. She offered reward for those who work hard.
“As president of Tennessee State University, I have the power, I have the authority for anyone who has a 2.8 GPA or above, to offer you a scholarship to Tennessee State University for this summer,” Glover said.
She discussed the important role graduates will play in society.
“Graduates, you are graduating at a time when the world has never needed you more,” Glover said.
Glover estimated the same amount of food will have to be produced in 2019 as the past 10 years.
“Never before, have so many graduates been poised to fix the problems,” she said. “You have been educated. Now you must serve.”
Glover said there are still many inequalities and challenges in society.
“There’s still too much more to fight for,” she said. “We’ve got work to do.
“Lastly, we must vote.”
Glover said there are many individuals who do not vote, adding it is not just a Constitutional right, but many sacrifices were made to ensure African-Americans had the opportunity to vote.
Valedictorian Kymbranecia Richard and salutatorian Cre’Shaundra Williams spoke during the ceremony. The Clarksdale High School ROTC did the presentation of colors and the CCC choir, under the direction of Kevin Towers, performed.
The class of 1969 was also recognized on its golden anniversary.
Local graduates had a wide range of stories and are prepared to make a difference in their next chapter of life.
Simirria Tripplett, a 2016 Clarksdale High School graduate, plans to attend nursing school at Phillips Community College in Helena-West Helena, Ark. She studied pre-nursing at CCC.
“Actually, I am excited,” she said. “I’m nervous, but I’m very happy.”
Tripplett said she hopes to be a nurse somewhere near Clarksdale. Her cousin, Chelvon Tripplett, is a also a nurse and graduated from CCC in 2018 and CHS.
“It means a lot to me,” she said reflecting on her experience at CCC. “It’s a great school. I had a great experience here. Everyone is nice to others. I learned a lot, actually, from my experience being here.”
Tripplett specifically said she gained the skill of speaking in front of others in her public speaking class after being nervous at first.
Joseph Wide, a 1991 then-Coahoma Agricultural High School graduate, came back to school recently and graduated Saturday.
“I just wanted to continue my education for the future,” he said. “It’s a competitive world out there. You need a degree, so that’s what I’m working on now.”
Wide is a police officer for the Coahoma County Sheriff’s Department and at CCC. He said, since he already worked on the CCC campus, it made it easier to go back to school.
He plans to get his bachelor’s degree at Mississippi Valley State University in criminal justice.
For now, Wide will remain a police officer.
“After I retire, I’m going to do a little something different with it,” he said. “I can retire in the next five to seven years. I don’t know what I’ll do with it, but I’m going to do something.
“Congratulations to everybody graduating. It was a long road, but we made it.”
