ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — South Carolina State University Interim President Alex Conyers says President Biden's commencement speech on Friday will be a milestone for the university.
“This is an exciting and historic time for South Carolina State University. We have done some research, and we have learned that this is the first time a sitting president has ever served as a commencement speaker for this institution in our 125 year history," said interim president Alex Conyers.
School officials say they are hard at work preparing for the president's visit. Landscapers and other workers have been beautifying the campus.
“This is a great weekend for South Carolina State University, make no mistake about it," Conyers said. "This weekend, we will also participate in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. But our real celebration is the 138 graduates that will graduate on Friday."
The board of trustees say alumni giving and participation has doubled, and this milestone could help further advance the university.
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“This fall commencement is historical for the university, which I believe, will be a major propeller for our university to make alumni and citizens of South Carolina proud," said SC State University Board of Trustees chairman Rodney Jenkins.
Due to limited seating, Conyers said each graduate was given 7 tickets. He says they are working on getting all the details to graduates about what time their families should arrive on Friday.
The commencement will take place at the Smith Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center at 10 a.m. on Friday.