To the Graduating Class of 2024: ‘Believe That Your Journey Has Uniquely Prepared You to Create Change in Your Community, Your State and the World’

The NC State College of Education welcomed 144 new alumni during the December 2024 graduation ceremony held on Dec. 13. Below is a recap of the event. 

Number of graduating students: 144 students graduated from the College of Education on Dec. 13, including 72 doctoral students, 56 master’s students and 14 undergraduate students.

Charge to the Students

Mariah Walker ’06, ’10MED, ’12MSA, 24EDD, who became a four-time graduate of NC State as she earned a doctoral degree in educational leadership, delivered the charge to graduating students. 

In her speech, Walker compared the new graduates’ journeys to the African story of Sankofa — a bird who must leave her home to succeed in her future but feels out of place and questions her worth in her new environment. 

The story, Walker said, serves as a reminder that all journeys are made up of moments that are both bright and challenging and that strength lies in embracing the lessons that have been learned along the way. 

“Sankofa found her strength not by boasting about her knowledge or seeking the attention of others but by knowing her purpose,” she said. “So, graduates, I charge you to live out your own Sankofa story. This world needs all that you are. Believe that your journey has uniquely prepared you to create change in your community, your state and the world. Believe that who you are is etched into the tapestry of humanity.”

What College of Education Dean Paola Sztajn Said

In addition to  acknowledging college alumni, faculty and staff, as well as the educators, family and friends who helped graduates along the way, Dean Paola Sztajn encouraged graduates to remember the power they have as educators. “Whatever route you take in education, I encourage you  to leverage your skills, talents and experiences to advance the greater good and work toward helping all achieve their full potential,” Sztajn said. “Our world needs you. Please always remember why you chose education, and the power you have to effect change.”