Approximately 140 students walked across the stage on May 5, 2018 at the John W. Swails Center with 121 earning a bachelor’s degree and another 21 earning their associates.
This year’s Valedictorians were Ms. Kora Addington (baccalaureate) and Ms. Anna Queen (associates). Faculty Awards went to Ms. Kora Addington and Mr. Benjamin Carlisle The Lee H. & Lucille Firebaugh Memorial Faculty Award went to Ms. Nancy Cobb, Math Department Chair. The Lorraine Wells Melton Support Staff Award was awarded to Ms. Sherri Carey, Office Manager and Housing Supervisor of Campus Life.
This year’s Valedictorians were Ms. Kora Addington (baccalaureate) and Ms. Anna Queen (associates). Faculty Awards went to Ms. Kora Addington and Mr. Benjamin Carlisle The Lee H. & Lucille Firebaugh Memorial Faculty Award went to Ms. Nancy Cobb, Math Department Chair. The Lorraine Wells Melton Support Staff Award was awarded to Ms. Sherri Carey, Office Manager and Housing Supervisor of Campus Life.
Valedictorian, Kora Addington addressed the graduating class, sharing an acronym that has helped her stay the course while in college when things don’t go exactly as planned.
RDR (Relationships Determine Results) – three letters that a high school sports coach instilled in Kora, now mean much more. “It means that the things that really matter in life are not the accomplishments you achieve by yourself but the ones you accomplish with others,” Kora said. “Your relationships with other people can connect you to opportunities, knowledge and abilities you could never have discovered on your own.”
Kora took the time to thank her professors, teammates and friends who have helped mold her throughout her time at Emmanuel. “Because of these relationships it doesn’t really matter so much that I don’t know what I’m going to do next,” Kora said. “I can be proud of the person I have become and look forward to becoming more like the friends, the teammates and the professors I admire the most.”
RDR (Relationships Determine Results) – three letters that a high school sports coach instilled in Kora, now mean much more. “It means that the things that really matter in life are not the accomplishments you achieve by yourself but the ones you accomplish with others,” Kora said. “Your relationships with other people can connect you to opportunities, knowledge and abilities you could never have discovered on your own.”
Kora took the time to thank her professors, teammates and friends who have helped mold her throughout her time at Emmanuel. “Because of these relationships it doesn’t really matter so much that I don’t know what I’m going to do next,” Kora said. “I can be proud of the person I have become and look forward to becoming more like the friends, the teammates and the professors I admire the most.”
This year’s commencement speaker was Emmanuel Alumnus Dr. Ryan Jackson (’95), who currently serves as lead pastor of The Capital Church near Raleigh, N.C. Dr. Jackson began by sharing with the graduates why he decided to further his education at Emmanuel College. “It was really the presence of God that drew me to Emmanuel,” he said. “I wanted to come to a place where I could dive deeper into my faith and discover my purpose in life.” He then encouraged the class of 2018 to fulfill the purpose that God has for their lives, reminding them that Christ promised to give His people success if they remained obedient to Him. “The world’s notion of success has to do with money, power and prestige,” Dr. Jackson said. “Real success, Biblical success is about living with purpose and fulfilling the role you were intended to fill when you were created.” Dr. Jackson reminded the graduates that the world is their oyster, but there’ll come a day when they’ve settled down and they’ll be tempted to settle into the American Dream. “You’ll be tempted to just settle on advancing your career, on planning for a fabulous, early retirement,” Dr. Jackson said. “But if you only do those things, your life will have been wasted. If you become the best doctor you can be, best lawyer, best sportsman but never fulfill God’s purpose for you – your life will have been a waste.” Dr. Jackson said that many live their lives in maintenance, going along to get along, but reminded the graduates that they have a choice. “You can choose today and for the rest of your lives to live on mission,” Dr. Jackson said. “God’s purpose is worth risking everything for. It’s better to risk your life than to waste it.”
Dr. Jackson concluded his message with a prayer for the graduates that they would not stop short of the purpose the Creator designed for them to fulfill. “I pray that you don’t settle for mud pies when God wants you to have infinite joy,” Dr. Jackson said. “My prayer is that you will see through the shallow pleasures of the world and build your lives on the only sure foundation, embrace the purpose of God and live out an ultimate joy.”
Dr. Jackson concluded his message with a prayer for the graduates that they would not stop short of the purpose the Creator designed for them to fulfill. “I pray that you don’t settle for mud pies when God wants you to have infinite joy,” Dr. Jackson said. “My prayer is that you will see through the shallow pleasures of the world and build your lives on the only sure foundation, embrace the purpose of God and live out an ultimate joy.”