ECSU Magazine 2.1.pmd - Elizabeth City State University

ECSU celebrates136th CommencementAmy Old Morgan designatedBearer of the MaceBenjamin S. Ruffin,ECSU Commencement SpeakerAt ECSU’s 136 th commencement ceremony held inMay, 193 undergraduates and three graduate studentsreceived their baccalaureate and master’s degrees,respectively.Benjamin S. Ruffin, president of The Ruffin Group inWinston-Salem, NC, was the keynote speaker. In hisinspiring remarks, Ruffin commended the graduates forearning their degrees and then challenged them to setgoals for the future. A highly successful executive andbusinessman in his own right, he told the graduates thatthe degrees earned at ECSU are the foundation tobuilding successful careers.Recalling the lyrics of music legend Curtis Mayfield,Ruffin urged the spring 2003 graduates to “keep onpushin’.” “You’ve got your health and your strength,and it don’t make sense not to keep on pushin’,” Ruffinsaid. “Don’t settle for buying a Lexus; own thedealership and sell as many as you can. Keep onpushin’.”Success is a topic the Durham native can readilyspeak on. His career extends from grass rootsorganizations to corporate boardrooms. Ruffin served asvice chairman and chairman of the UNC Board ofGovernors; a seven-year special assistant to former NorthCarolina Governor James B. Hunt, Jr.; and vice presidentof R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. He has also heldseats on several corporate boards including the Board ofDirectors for the Research Triangle Foundation of NorthCarolina.Another highlight of the 136 th commencementceremonies was honoring the valedictorian, Amy OldMorgan. With a grade point average of 4.0, she wasdesignated The Bearer of the Mace, an honor that goes tothe graduating senior having the highest cumulativegrade point average. Morgan received a B.S. in BusinessAdministration and Accounting. During her years atECSU she enhanced her studies by pursuingconcentrations in banking and finance, economics, andmarketing. Morgan came to ECSU after graduating fromCamden High School, Camden, NC. Amy Old Morgan,ECSU valedictorian andBearer of the MaceRuffin earned a bachelor’s degree from North CarolinaCentral University in Durham, and a master’s degree from theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his wifefeaturesAvon are the parents of two adult daughters, April and Benita.4 ECSU MAGAZINE FALL 2003