Graduates at VGCC receive seeds of wisdom from farmer and classmate
At Vance-Granville Community College’s 47th commencement exercises on May 13, the graduates received life lessons from a Franklin County farmer, Jason Brown, who left behind a career in the NFL to raise his family and feed the hungry. Members of the Class of 2016 were joined by numerous loved ones in a picturesque setting, at the gazebo by the lake on the college’s Main Campus.
Jason Brown had the distinction of being introduced by his mother, Deborah Brown, who chairs the VGCC Board of Trustees. The Henderson native and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill played a total of seven seasons in the NFL as a center, first with the Baltimore Ravens and later the St. Louis Rams. With several lucrative offers on the table, he decided instead to take a leap of faith and walk away from professional football in 2012. He and his wife, Dr. Tay Brown, moved back to North Carolina and purchased a 1,000-acre farm in Louisburg, which he dubbed First Fruits Farm. The farm has become known for donating produce to food pantries and churches throughout the Triangle area.
Brown used a number of agricultural metaphors in his remarks to the VGCC graduates, because, as he said, what he has learned as a farmer “has completely changed my perspective on life.” He compared “pruning” to training. “The biggest mistake I made for two years was not pruning some of my fruit trees,” Brown recalled. “They grew wild and untamed. When you aggressively prune the trees, it does something special. They become agitated and stimulated to grow even more, but now, in the direction they are intended to grow.” Likewise, people can learn from painful acts of pruning.
“I remember one of the best days of my youth being right here at Vance-Granville,” Brown said. “It was my Northern Vance High School senior prom, back in 2001. I also remember one of the worst days of my life, when my older brother, Army Spc. Lunsford Bernard Brown II , was killed Sept. 20, 2003, serving our country in Iraq. His memorial service was held right here in the same VGCC Civic Center. I remember that day much more than I remember my prom.” In the heartbreaking loss of his brother, Brown said, “a part of me was pruned and cut off, and I was agitated and stimulated, and I was forced to grow. The worst of our days are the days that define us.” He called upon the graduates “to take heart and not only persevere through hardships but to overcome them. Make them your own.”
Just as crops need full sunlight to grow, Brown also encouraged the graduates to let their “light” shine. “I hope you take this little bit of wisdom that God has given this farmer to realize your potential to sow your seeds, bear good fruit and reap an abundant harvest for yourselves, your families and your communities,” he said.
Daniel Davis of Norlina, who graduated with both an Associate in Arts degree and an Associate in Science degree, spoke on behalf of his classmates. A Warren Early College High School student, the 19-year-old became the first student from any Early College program to serve as VGCC’s student commencement speaker. Davis is set to continue his education at East Carolina University in the fall.
Declaring that “the best is yet to come,” Davis said that commencement was “a celebration not only for how far we have come, but how far we will go.”
He recalled that recently, he was disappointed when he was rejected by two universities. “I struggled with it for a little while, but a week later I was awarded a scholarship, asked to give this speech and voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ by my high school classmates,” Davis said. “What most people don’t realize is that success isn’t the absence of failure, it’s the result of it.” He also expressed his appreciation to those who had supported him at the college. “Vance-Granville’s faculty and resources have been instrumental in my success,” Davis said.
Following the speakers, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC, thanked both for their inspirational words and “seeds of wisdom.” As she congratulated all of the graduates, she recognized one, Elizabeth Mary Caulfield of Louisburg, as the recipient of the N.C. Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award, which she received along with her Associate in Arts degree. Caulfield, a Franklin County Early College High School student, is transferring to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this fall.
“Some professional achievements can be measured or recognized by credentials and awards, but other achievements are so personal that only those who have experienced them know how monumental they are,” Dr. Williams said. “At VGCC, we support professional and personal success, and I want to take a moment to recognize personal successes as demonstrated by the Class of 2016.”
She then asked graduates to stand if they fit certain criteria: if they were Early College High School students, were the first in their family to earn a college degree, attended college while taking care of family members, completed college to prepare for employment or to start their own businesses, and finally if they planned to transfer to a university. At that point, all graduates were on their feet. “Standing before us is our college’s living mission,” the president said. “This is what we do: we build the middle class, we make dreams come true, and we open doors to endless possibilities for our students.”
After Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs Dr. Angela Ballentine presented the candidates for graduation, Deborah Brown assisted President Williams in presenting degrees and diplomas.
Members of this year’s class, including those predicted to graduate at the end of the summer term in July, were awarded 272 Associate in Applied Science degrees in a variety of curriculum programs , 184 Associate in Arts degrees, 69 Associate in Science degrees and 76 technical and vocational diplomas. Many students graduated with more than one credential. In total, the 601 credentials were the most awarded at any single commencement in VGCC history.
Davis led the new graduates in ceremonially turning their tassels as the ceremony concluded. Music was provided by the Vance-Granville Community Band, conducted by Brian Miller. Bearing the ceremonial mace for commencement was Social Sciences department chair/instructor Kristi Salmons Ellenberg, the college’s 2015-2016 Faculty Member of the Year.
Above: Former NFL player Jason Brown delivers the commencement address at Vance-Granville Community College on May 13. Seated at left is VGCC trustee Donald Seifert. Seated at right is student speaker Daniel Davis. (VGCC Photo)
Above: From left, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams presents the Academic Excellence Award to Elizabeth Caulfield. (VGCC photo)
Above: Daniel Davis of Norlina speaks on behalf of the graduates at Vance-Granville Community College on May 13. (VGCC photo)
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See also: " VGCC alumna and Henderson City Council member encourages Adult Basic Skills graduates "
