JSU graduates preach persistence at commencement

Ben Nunnally, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·2 min read

May 7—JACKSONVILLE — It's no surprise that a tornado and pandemic were frequent topics at Jacksonville State University's commencement Friday morning.

Last time a pandemic was considered a hurdle to graduation, during the Spanish influenza outbreak from 1918-20, the place was still called Jacksonville State Normal School.

The last few years have not been normal for the graduating class of 2021, about 100 students seated beneath a cloudless sky at Burgess-Snow Field, a mix of undergraduate and graduate students and key faculty members.

A tornado crushed campus buildings in its path in 2018, and students kept studying. A pandemic halted in-person classes, so students logged on to online classes to learn. But buildings were rebuilt, classes returned to classrooms and, by May, the "new normal" prophesied last year appeared to have taken root.

Jermelle "Jeh Jeh" Pruitt, alumni speaker at the commencement, television news anchor and founder of the Dannon Project, pointed graduates toward the future. "Are you ready to maneuver through a post-COVID world?"

He cited a recent survey by indeed.com, a job-finding website, that said 54 percent of students graduating in May (from a 1,000-person sample) had reservations about the likelihood of finding a job this year. Another 33 percent said they were afraid they would struggle to get a job using their degree. Pruitt encouraged grads to prepare for work outside their field, at least temporarily, but to also acknowledge the unusual times they're living in.

"Be proud of yourself for facing challenges that many people will never experience," Pruitt. "None of us on stage have had to experience what you've had to experience."

Graduating student Kevin Barajas spoke to his fellow classmates and shared his personal story of persistence. Barajas was raised in Bogota, Colombia, and moved to the United States when he was 15 years old.

Now in his early 20s, Barajas said he found that there were more doors closed to him than not when he entered the country. But as long as he was willing to knock, eventually he found doors that opened.

"If you don't ask, you won't get," Barajas told his fellow graduating seniors. "The worst thing that can happen is being told 'no.'"

A second commencement ceremony was scheduled for Friday evening, as JSU split graduates into two groups to better serve social distancing.

Assistant Metro Editor Ben Nunnally: 256-235-3560.