The Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte was bustling with excitement on the morning of May 21 as family, friends and loved ones waited to see the campus' 415 students receive their undergraduate degrees.
One honorary degree was also awarded to Joseph “Frank” Scibelli, the founder and CEO of FS Food Group.
“You all have a lot to be thankful for,” Scibelli said. “You are graduating from a great school that you worked really hard to get through. Your future is incredibly bright. All you have to do now is get out there and do it.”
This year's student speaker was Kellyn Stamey '16. “The desire to work is unique and will be our greatest asset as we transition to our 'what's next',” she said to her classmates.
“Graduation is a longstanding tradition,” Stamey continued, “but as I look around this arena at a sea of non-traditional students who are of every age, background and ethnicity, I see a reason we have been and will continue to be successful. We are the foundation of the unconventional. We are a new campus and we have given spirit to the walls and bricks of our buildings.”