Dear College Community,
Friday, May 16, was a momentous occasion as we celebrated our 56th annual graduation ceremony! We had record crowds in attendance and one of our larger graduating classes in a number of years. There was much to celebrate, and we were thankful so many were able to join in the celebration.
However, we also experienced threatening weather around campus and bad weather in the vicinity. Traffic was backed up along Interstate 85 in both directions as was Poplar Creek Road. The College typically has assistance from NC Highway Patrol and the local Sheriff’s Department in addition to our small Campus Police and Security force. Unfortunately, several external officers were called away from assisting the College to deal with more serious weather-related events in the area, leaving the College short-staffed to deal with our record crowd. We delayed the ceremony by 30 minutes in order to allow graduates and guests to arrive.
For some, we know this special event was marred by anxiety or frustration due to the unexpected traffic and weather. We also know that some guests gave up fighting the traffic and did not attend the ceremony. We deeply regret the convergence of events that resulted in a poor experience for those individuals.
Apologies aside, we are learning from this experience. While we cannot control the weather or the availability of external officers, we can approach the situation differently to decrease the odds of “perfect storm” circumstances. Next year, we will be holding more than one graduation ceremony to accommodate our growing number of graduates and their families. Furthermore, we are exploring indoor venues to prevent cancellations or delays due to the weather. Please stay posted this year as we plan for a new, and hopefully improved, graduation experience in 2026.
Sincerely,
Rachel Desmarais, President, and Graduation Planning Committee Members
