Publication Date
12-22-2022
Abstract
JOHNSON CITY (December 10, 2022) – East Tennessee State University celebrated more than 1,500 members of the Class of 2022 during two Commencement ceremonies held at the Ballad Health Athletic Center today.
During the morning ceremony, Dr. Cerrone Foster, recipient of the university’s 2022 Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching, was the keynote speaker. Foster, who was also a recipient of the 2022 Notable Women of ETSU award, encouraged the graduates to do big things, do good things and do hard things.
“You navigated the before and after of a pandemic; you navigated the ups and downs of it, and you learned what it is you need to be successful,” Foster told the graduates. “You’re going to do big things, good things and hard things … keeping with the ETSU mission of going out to improve the quality of life in the region that you’re in and even beyond.”
The morning ceremony also included a special recognition for Dr. Bert C. Bach, retired ETSU Provost who served more than four decades in higher education in Tennessee. ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland awarded Bach with an honorary doctorate for his distinguished career and his outstanding contributions to higher education.
Throughout his career, Bach was a true champion for ETSU, beginning with his service as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the Tennessee Board of Regents and continuing through his interim presidency of ETSU in 1991-92 and his tenure as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
“His lasting imprint on our university – from our programs to our facilities and our people – is unmistakable,” Noland said.
At the afternoon ceremony, Larry D. Thornton Sr. delivered the commencement address. Thornton is president and owner of Thornton Enterprises, Inc., a McDonald’s franchisee. He serves on the board of directors for several organizations and is a well-known businessman and artist.
In April 2019, he added author to his résumé with his first book “Why Not Win?,” a reflection on his 50-year journey from the Jim Crow South to America’s boardrooms and the lessons he learned. The book led to the launch of the Why Not Win Institute, a leadership and professional development initiative.
Thornton asked graduates to consider three questions: Is this just? Is this honest? Is this the best that I can do?
“Some of the most pointed, some of the most powerful, some of the most poignant messages that you will ever deliver or receive will occur without the employment of a single word,” Thornton told the graduates.
Learn more about ETSU at etsu.edu.
Document Type
News Article
