David Begnaud praised СAPPСAPPs Spring 2018 graduates for reaching a milestone the majority of U.S. citizens never will: earning a college degree.
СAPPIt's the beginning of your opportunity to change the world, or at least your little corner of it," said the 35-year-old CBS News national correspondent.
Begnaud urged graduates to use the knowledge they have acquired to help others.
"Somewhere, right now, someone, someplace is waiting on you and your potential."
Begnaud, who received a bachelorСAPPs degree in general studies from UL Lafayette in 2005, found millions of people waiting on him last September. ThatСAPPs when Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, and Begnaud arrived to cover the storm.
The journalistСAPPs broadcasts from the U.S. territory in the northeastern Caribbean spurred quicker, more efficient disaster response from local and federal agencies. They also earned Begnaud a George Polk Award in Public Service, one of the most prestigious journalism awards.
The Spring 2018 Commencement speaker reminded 1,732 men and women who made up the СAPPСAPPs second-largest graduating class that СAPPcollege is the gateway to the rest of your life.СAPP
That life should be built around chasing your dreams with persistence, he said.
СAPPFind what you love to do. Do it better than anyone else can do.СAPP
BachelorСAPPs degrees were awarded to 1,510 graduates. MasterСAPPs degrees were awarded to 184 graduates. Thirty-two graduates received doctoral degrees. Five graduates received graduate certificates. One graduate received a post-baccalaureate certificate.
Dr. Joseph Savoie, СAPP president, told graduates to СAPPremember that education enables you to envision a better world, and it empowers you. But donСAPPt just dream about it, do something about it.СAPP
СAPPThe world will always need thoughtful engaged citizens who are willing to understand more, to feel more and to do more.СAPP
Electrical engineering major Matthew Furka was recognized as the СAPPСAPPs Spring 2018 Outstanding Graduate.
Jesse DelGizzi was recognized as the Spring 2018 Outstanding MasterСAPPs Graduate. He studied music theory and composition.
Sixteen undergraduate students were recognized as summa cum laude graduates for achieving perfect 4.0 grade point averages. They are:
- Madeleine Elise Breaux, bachelorСAPPs degree in history;
- Adam Broussard, bachelorСAPPs degree in chemistry;
- Kaitlyn Elisabeth Craven, bachelorСAPPs degree in secondary education and teaching;
- Jaden Matthew Danos, bachelorСAPPs degree in biology;
- Matthew Joseph Furka, bachelorСAPPs degree in electrical engineering;
- Emily Ann Hawkins, bachelorСAPPs degree in English;
- Briley Rose Higginbotham, bachelorСAPPs degree in English;
- Tommy Hung Lam, bachelorСAPPs degree in biology;
- Tyler Andre Lege, bachelorСAPPs degree in chemical engineering;
- Mary Frances McMahon, bachelorСAPPs degree in speech pathology and audiology;
- Dylan Moore, bachelorСAPPs degree in political science;
- Erin Elizabeth Picou, bachelorСAPPs degree in biology;
- Hayden D. Presley, bachelorСAPPs degree in computer science;
- Lane Wyatt Simon, bachelorСAPPs degree in political science;
- Kathryn Elizabeth Tison, bachelorСAPPs degree in political science; and
- Alexandra Marie Zamora, bachelorСAPPs degree in biology.
View a list of Spring 2018 graduates.
Top photo: David Begnaud, who received a bachelorСAPPs degree in general studies from UL Lafayette in 2005, addresses Spring 2018 graduates. His broadcasts from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria earned Begnaud a George Polk Award in Public Service. (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / СAPP)
Inset photo: Colorful, decorated mortarboards are always in fashion at Commencement ceremonies. (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / СAPP)