Grads urged to reach beyond the tangible

The ceremony: 9 a.m. on the St. Augustine's College Quadrangle

Number of graduates: 182

Main speaker: TV personality and social commentator Jeff Johnson

What he said: Johnson challenged graduates to reach beyond the "accoutrements of a capitalist society" and to ground their accomplishments in a larger spiritual purpose.

He urged students to create a vision for themselves that relies on critical thought, not society, and to find a purpose. He laid responsibility for many of the country's current woes - including two wars and Wall Street malfeasance - at the feet of successful people.

"At the end of the day, your success is meaningless if that is all you are using your vision to accomplish," he said.

Johnson referred to the experiences of alumni of the class of 1960, many of whom were on hand for their 50th anniversary. They graduated as civil rights tensions enveloped the country. Members of that generation became great by refusing to follow a predetermined path, he said.

"They had a vision outside of what society said they could become," he said. "I would say we need that kind of vision more in 2010 than we did then."

Please donate starting ... now: During the ceremony, the school's administrators had graduates pledge loyalty to their alma mater, particularly its alumni association. Students joined the college's director of alumni affairs in reciting a promise to steer "worthy" students to the school and to donate money annually.

Return to the nest: Class president Kendra L. Perry expressed high expectations for her fellow graduates who have "truly raised the bar" since coming to campus.

Perry recounted the memorable journey to graduation, from long waits in registration lines as freshmen to following Barack Obama's successful campaign to the White House.

"For many of us," Perry said, "the childhood dream of one day becoming president didn't seem so far-fetched at all."

She invoked the school's mascot in reminding graduates that the school will be a second home.

"As falcons, we always fly high but know that you can always return to the nest," she said.

The future is bright, but lose the shades: Graduates and their guests were treated to clear skies and sunshine, but those who brought sunglasses couldn't wear them. In the name of decorum, President Dianne Boardley Suber asked students to take them off during the ceremony.

"It is one of the last rules I'm going to have to give you," Suber said.

Remember the past, and heed the turtle: In her address, Suber called on students to remember the school's founders who nurtured a vision for educating black students after the Civil War. She encouraged students to take risks as they work to improve the world around them.

"Remember the sign of the turtle: Stick your neck out and put your tail on the line," she said.

Big shoes to fill: Graduate Tennisha Brown, 22, was among many students hosting guests from out-of-town. Her parents, godfather and younger brother traveled from the Bronx, N.Y., to attend.

An accounting major, Brown is the first in the family to graduate from a four-year school. Her mother, Maureen, said Tennisha has become a role model for her 12-year-old son, Jordan, who also plans to attend college.

"He's got big shoes to fill," Maureen Brown said.