Sullivan Anderson 
I recently celebrated my graduation from North Carolina A&T State University this past Saturday, May 11th, 2024. We truly had a time! To celebrate this win as a student who, four years ago, didn’t have a high school graduation, was truly a monumental moment for me. As a student who also did not have the traditional collegiate experience with the onset of COVID-19 during my freshman year, I had the chance to reflect on the trials and tribulations I overcame to walk across the stage at graduation.
What better speaker was there to motivate us to make the world our oyster than award-winning journalist, daytime television host and author Tamron Hall? She filled the stadium with a thrill that could not be tamed, and she left my classmates and me with many gems that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. Here are a couple of points she left us with:
You are what the culture is feeling.
Know your uniqueness! Your greatest power is that nobody in the world is like you. For 2024 graduates of A&T, the civil rights legacy of our university emboldens us with the power to advocate for what is right and break barriers. Specifically, Hall reminded us that “nobody in the world has gone through what we have survived,” and to take light in that. For the world at large, look within and recognize what makes you different from everyone else. Whatever quality this is, cherish it with confidence and make it your personal brand. Being you is your power!
Take care of your mental health.
In the current day and age, virtual settings and social media create an environment of comparison that is unsustainable. As suicide rates skyrocket, we should be reminded that comparison is the thief of joy. To these statistics, Hall quoted an infamous Jay-Z lyric – “but who not gon’ crack?” We are resilient, and community is the answer. We must celebrate each other, practice gratitude and be there for one another to make the struggles of life easier.
You are your ancestors’ wildest dreams!
As African-Americans, our enslaved ancestors had limits placed on them that extend beyond what we can comprehend today. Hall told us the story of how she stands on the shoulders of her grandfather, a formerly enslaved sharecropper, as she builds her career on “words he could not read.” The underdog becomes the top dog eventually – just stick it out and watch your dreams turn into reality! Your journey belongs to you.
As I continue meditating on Hall’s words, I will stay reminded of the confidence, grit and sheer determination North Carolina A&T has built in me within my past four years. Although I am leaving the university physically, I stand in gratitude for the family, experiences and livelihood A&T has blessed me with. For this, I will always be an Aggie at heart! Thank you, Tamron Hall, for your wise words.
By Sullivan Anderson, North Carolina A&T State University Alumna
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