The Grambling State University College of Business and American Marketing Association presented to the 2nd Semi-Annual graduation senior Gala at the Auditorium of the School of Nursing Building.The theme for the Gala was “From the Classroom to the Boardroom.” Perlum Clark Toombs, a management senior, presided over the event. Metria McCall, senior marketing/accounting major and Tobasco intern, gave greetings. The main focus of the gala is to award the students with outstanding performance in their discipline.
Johnathan Allen, freshman marketing and management major and president of the Student Advisory committee, gave expressions of gratitude and stressed that “an effective alumni is one that gives back to the university.” Allen was a prelude to the words of wisdom from the self made motivational speaker and chairperson of the Division of Business Studies at Southern University at Shreveport (SUSLA).
She began with a rather interesting ice breaker and had the audience sing lyrics of the popular Michael Jackson hit “Man in the Mirror.” Cynthia Lemelle contended that image is the most significant.
She asserted that the most important theory is that everyone should live by the 12x12x12 theory which claims that people are judged first from 12 feet away, 12 inches away and by the first 12 words out of their mouth. Lemelle also added that one cannot survive on average. Everyone needs to be exceptionally good in all they pursue. She stressed that “in order to achieve excellence in anything, you have to give it your everything.”
She concluded with a few pointers for excellence which included:
You need to be able to work well with people
Build a strong personal brand (She illustrated Michael Jordan)
Develop a wealth building plan
Invest in your dreams every pay day
Have a mission/vision statement
Job portfolio and a stock portfolio. Both should look good
Dreams do not work unless you do.
Dr. Frank G. Pogue, GSU interim president, gave remarks and congratulated the graduating seniors.
“You are not leaving at the commencement ceremony, you are actually just beginning,” he stated. “You should commit yourself to bringing someone here at Grambling State University,” he concluded.
The College of Business awarded outstanding performance certificates to its students in various departments. Awards went to Chad Cuffy, Nicholas Dailey, Derwin Emmanuel and Ulrick Joseph in CIS. Eileen Schwartz was awarded from economics, Gavin Hamms and Demetrius White from management, and Melissa Francis and Irma James from Marketing.
The mission of the College of Business is to educate and nurture students to become technically competent, socially and ethically conscious, and culturally sensitive in a dynamic global business environment as lifelong learners. The college is committed to performing basic, applied and pedagogical research and offering services to the community.