Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
“Follow your dreams and do it with purpose” was the central message delivered to North Carolina A&T State University students during the Fall 2025 undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies.
NaTasha Yvette Williams ’92, a Grammy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated Broadway performer, served as the keynote speaker for the university’s baccalaureate ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 13, at First Horizon Coliseum.
“I stand before you today to tell you that whatever discipline you have chosen, know that it is enough because you were trained here,” Williams told graduates. “It is enough to take you beyond your wildest dreams, so keep dreaming.”
Williams, whose career spans Broadway, television, film and international stages, shared that her focus has shifted from fame to purpose. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from A&T and her Master of Fine Arts from Michigan State University, and was recognized in 2021 with the N.C. A&T Alumni Achievement Award from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
“I’m fixed on purpose because purpose lasts,” she said. “Your choices matter, your words matter, your energy matters. Keep your mind open and continue to be teachable, especially when you fail.”
N.C. A&T conferred degrees on approximately 1,200 undergraduate students, including nearly 300 graduate students over the weekend.
As part of the ceremonies, A&T also awarded three degrees posthumously: a B.S. in criminal justice from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) to Vantazia M. Campbell; a Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering from the College of Engineering to Yoo-Sang Chang; and B.S. in biology from the College of Science and Technology to Ceyani Danae Pratt.
“Today you join a proud and powerful community: the Aggie family of alumni in North Carolina, across the country and around the world,” Chancellor James Martin told graduates.
Martin’s remarks encouraged graduates to continue to stand tall and lead with integrity, just as those who have gone before them have.
“To be an Aggie is to be part of a living legacy – one of courage, one of innovation, one of excellence and one of service,” he said. “For generations, Aggies have broken barriers, challenged expectations, and we’ve shaped the world with intellect and with our strong sense of purpose. And all of you, now join that proud tradition.”
The university’s graduate ceremony took place the night before, on December 12, in First Horizon Coliseum at the Greensboro Complex.
Uduak Ndoh ‘99, vice chancellor for Information Technology, Health Sciences and deputy chief information officer at the University of Pittsburgh, served as the keynote speaker for the graduate student ceremony.
A recognized leader in academic medicine IT, Ndoh received his B.S. in chemical engineering from A&T and his MBA from Wake Forest University’s Babcock School of Business. He said his time at A&T was essential to his preparation and was a place that gave him opportunity and support, something he takes with him everywhere in life.
“Graduates, you belong in every room your purpose takes you into,” said Ndoh. “And when you walk into those rooms, walk with your head held high. Walk with humility, yes, but also walk with boldness. Because confidence is not about pretending to be something you’re not, it’s about fully embracing who you really are.”
