American Baptist College will celebrate the 2019 Graduation Class with joy and vigor. Baccalaureate Service will be Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m., at Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church. Pastor Breonus Mitchell Sr., will be the keynote speaker. The church is located 901 Acklen Ave. Nashville, TN.
Pastor Mitchell also serves as President of the ABC National Alumni Association, representing graduates from throughout the world who earned their degrees from ABC. “It is an honor to be a graduate from ABC and serve as the keynote speaker at the Baccalaureate Service. I hope to inspire and ignite the students as they become alumni,” he said.
The Commencement Program will be Thursday, May 16, at 10 a.m. at Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church, located at 1203 9th Ave N, Nashville. State Representative, Dr. Harold M. Love, Jr, who is also the pastor of Lee Chapel A.M. E. Church, will serve as the keynote speaker. “In his role as State Representative, Rep. Love has worked tirelessly to serve the constituents of his district and especially HBCU’s,” said Dr. Forrest Harris,
President of ABC. “Rep. Love has championed opportunities for this college to participate in the state-sponsored Bridges Program, which is funded by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC),” he stated. ABC will receive $80,000 to participate in the program, which is a four-week session for students who need academic assistance before entering college. Rep. Love will share his concerns and hopes about student academic success.
“American Baptist College is a wonderful institution of higher education with a rich history of preparing some of this nation’s best leaders. I am pleased to speak to the graduates of ABC and share insights to help guide them on their continued paths to success,” said Rep. Love.
The student speaker for commencement will be Mr. Rahim Buford. Rahim said he is going to rest from doing papers, taking tests and making presentations, while still operating his non-profit, Unheard Voices Outreach.
“We are proud of our graduating seniors and know they will represent ABC well in their future endeavors,” said Dr. LaShante Walker, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. “Our graduates have scholarship offers to Vanderbilt Divinity School and Duke, as well as employment in non-profits and faith-based work,” she added.
Awards will be presented to students who have earned a place on the President’s List and the Dean’s List. Additionally, qualified students will receive the Delta Epsilon Chi Honor Society Award and the Theta Alpha Epsilon Honor Society Award. “These students have excelled academically during their matriculation at ABC and deserve to receive the awards of high academic distinction to reflect their educational commitment,” said Dr. Walker.
Additionally, those graduates who are veterans will be recognized for their due diligence as scholars who persisted to completion and for their service to the country. The veterans service will be a part of the graduation ceremony on Thursday at Mt. Gilead. Prior to the Baccalaureate Service, students will participate in the ceremonial walk and march through the official ABC arch, as a symbol to them being ‘Keepers of the Flame,’ a known interpretative for ABC.
“Our graduates have an unwavering commitment to justice and are trained to be leaders for transformative Christian ministry, said President Harris. We look forward to them leaving the ‘Holy Hill’ and making a positive difference in the lives of everyone they touch,” he added.
