The pursuit of a bachelor’s degree on the collegiate level is not, nor is it supposed to be, an easy endeavor, but three University of the District of Columbia graduates had to overcome trying adversities to walk across the stage on May 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest.
“I had to take care of school to take care of a relative of mine, Viola Carroll-Burrow, who was seriously ill and in hospice,” Brian Simpkins, 29, told The Informer. “My grade point average had dropped to a little above 1.0 and I had to deal with that when I came back to school. I did, posting a 3.5 grade point average every semester since I came back, and I participated in the men’s lacrosse team.”
Simpkins’ tale of dropping out to take care of Carroll-Burrow and then proceeding to recover academically to get his degree in digital media was among the many stories of the 770 graduates of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) in the community college, undergraduate, graduate and the David A. Clarke School of Law.
Two classmates in his degree field, Asha Moore and Jordan Davis, faced challenges. Moore changed her focus from music due to a condition that adversely affected her voice and Davis had to navigate the difficulties of being a student living in the expensive District and fighting to get financial aid to finish school.
“It was tough going through all the things I went through to get this degree, but I did it,” said Davis, 26. “I just kept going until I got it done.”
The New Firebirds Get Their Wings
UDC President Maurice Edington presided over the ceremony that had an audience of hundreds of friends and family of the graduates.
“Buildings don’t make a university great, people do,” said Edington. “We celebrate not only your graduation but your transformation.”
The university conferred three honorary degrees on noted individuals.
C. Brian Williams, the commencement speaker and the founder of D.C.-based dance company Step Afrika, received a Doctor of Arts degree.
Wil Haygood, a former Washington Post staff writer who has written seven nonfiction books including the widely acclaimed “Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America” got the Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Gina Ferguson Adams, the executive vice president, general counsel and secretary for FedEx Corporation, received the Doctor of Laws degree.
Adams announced the establishment of a $100,000 scholarship at the university in the name of a niece who is an alumnus of the institution and died in 2024.
“The purpose of this scholarship is to support deserving students,” she said.
Williams, a graduate of Howard University who founded Step Afrika in 1994, expressed pride in being a member of the latest class of Firebirds.
“This is a room filled with absolutely incredible people,” said Williams.
He credited the District for his success in building Step Afrika, saying, “D.C. has been good for me.”
“I took a tiny nonprofit in 1994 and made it one of the largest African American-owned dance companies in the world,” Williams said.
Celebrating the Graduates, Offering a Call to Action
Williams praised his fellow graduates for their perseverance while seeking to pursue their degrees.
“You have worked hard to overcome obstacles,” he said. “You have had to balance your jobs, your studies, your family and meet deadlines for school.”
Williams encouraged the graduates to try to be the best at whatever they seek to do throughout their lives.
“I want you to pursue excellence,” he said. “Not money, not connections, not power, just excellence. Excellence is what speaks for you. Excellence can be your best defense. It is a continuous journey of growth.”
He said they will have to prove their degree worth “everyday” and urged them to pursue excellence in areas of their lives outside of work.
“I encourage you to travel, and mentor, and change lives and lead,” Williams said with a bit of emotion, gripping the podium. He beseeched the graduates to get involved in their community.
“It needs you,” he said. “It needs your voice. It needs your perspective. Firebirds, it needs your fire.”
The speaking portion of the program was wrapped up by Michelle Mitchell, the student speaker. Mitchell talked about the obstacles she faced getting through UDC and still managing to lead the women’s lacrosse team and join Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
She told her fellow graduates to keep working toward success in their lives.
“By graduating today, we have broken through that first door,” she said. “Don’t let this be your finish line, let it be your foundation.”
