Grambling State University students, faculty, staff and retirees attended the 67th Annual New Rocky Valley Baptist Church’s Family, Friends and College Sunday.College Day is an event the church holds annually at the beginning of the school year.
This year’s theme was “The Impossible Dream.”
Pastor Julius Sumler said, “The event is held so that students are welcomed into our church and the community.”
He also said “We want to close the gap between Grambling and home, and we want the church right in the middle,”
The speakers were graduates of Grambling State University and honored products of New Rocky Valley’s Baptist Church.
They were branded the “2011 Children of Yesteryears.”
The speakers spoke on the endless possibilities that are out there for us young black individuals coming from Grambling State University if we keep our eye on the prize and keep God number one in our lives.
Lena Wilson-Claybon lead the way being the first speaker of the program.
Lena Claybon is a graduate from Grambling State University where she earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration.
Upon graduating she has produced over 100 hours of television working with Networks such as USA, Former UPN Netwrok, FOX Networks, and TLC Networks.
Claybon stated that “she would not be where she is now if it wasn’t for her upbringing in New Rocky Valley; church is where you get your start in life.”
She says she live her life by these basic principles; whatever you do be the best at it, do more than whats expected, and be patient with yourself.
Our very own mayor of Grambling, Edward R. Jones was also on the program to elaborate on his experience growing up in Grambling.
While at Grambling State University he elected to major in speech and drama and minor in English.
While at GSU he participated in the Drama Club, and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1974.
As a young adolescent Jones said, “He saw Black people as leaders so as he grew up he learned to see black people in power.”
It seemed as if he could see in the future, I can guarantee he wouldn’t think he’d be the mayor of the city he grew up in.
When asked what she thought of the program in its entirety, Stavinoha Bradley, a student at GSU, replied, “I thought that the program was informative as well as inspirational. It gave me a true reality of what a little church and higher education can do for you.”
It doesn’t matter where you come from whether it’s from Grambling, Louisiana or Los Angela, you can do anything if you put your mind and God in it.
The speakers of yesteryear can attest to that.