Thread by @HipHopPrez

A #DU22 Commencement THREAD: I narrated what I called "The Story of the Class of 2022" instead of having a speaker this year. Here are some of the highlights. 1/

Chad. Co-Valedictorian. @BetaPhi1938 prez. @apa1906NETwork highest GPA winner 2021. @hcasc All-Star. Sutton Prize winner. Heading to @UFLaw . 2/

Arianne. Sang National Anthem (and I mean sang). Will attend the Master of Music in Music Education program at @BUArts . 3/

Aungelle. Finished high school 2012. Started college but stopped out due to complicated pregnancy. Earned AA & finished through evening/weekend. Completed @DUprelaw LEAD program, prepping for LSAT, AND she married the love of her life this semester. 4/

LaJeanne. Earned over half a dozen awards during mock trial tournaments and named a 2022 @AMTAMockTrial All-American attorney. Admitted to over 10 law schools including Ivies, will attend @UCHastingsLaw . 5/

Langston. Sutton Prize winner (Sutton also @OfficialOPPF ). Former @BCFUMC Lina McCord ambassador. Will attend @ULM_Official to begin their doctor of physical therapy program. 6/

Amaya. @BlackWomensRJ Next Generation Leadership Institute Fellow. @SavageXFenty Game Changers Award. @DillardMock captain, winner of over a dozen individual awards at regional tournaments. Admitted to over a half a dozen law schools, will attend @Harvard_Law . 7/

Andrew. Mister Dillard. 5 aunts are graduates of @du1869 . Winner of the Barker Prize for a graduating senior who has overcome odds to make it to graduation. Lost his father his last semester, who pushed him to pursue higher education. 8/

DeJoan. Miss Dillard. Family severely impacted by Hurricane Ida and bounced back and forth between several cities. Captain of @DU_Diamonds . Heading to @SouthernULaw this fall. 9/

DJ and Lauren. Brother and sister musical duo. Also impacted by Hurricane Ida, and both parents have medical challenges. Worked to support family. Both planning to pursue grad studies while running their theater company, Rhodes & Rhodes. 10/

William. Took my @ethicsinhiphop class this spring and I really got to know him- great guy. Heading to Ivy @ColumbiaSOA to pursue MFA in writing. 11/

De'Auan. AKA @_macinfinity_ , rapper and filmmaker. Came in second in the Autumn Sun HBCU Short Film Invitational for his film, “Church.” Commencement day (May 14th) was his birthday, and we all sung to him! 12/

Jason. Will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Thank you for your service! 13/

Renee. From Lake Charles. Both parents' homes devasted by Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020. Worked 2 jobs all through college. Member of @DillardMock and named a 2022 @AMTAMockTrial All-American witness. Heading to @SouthernULaw . 14/

Noah. Thrown out the backseat of a car in February when car was hit by driver running stop light. Fractured skull, traumatic brain injury. Doctors unsure if he would speak or walk again. I asked him to speak at commencement. He'll be headed to @TTU_Law . 15/

Dillard nurses @DillardNursing . In high demand. Enough said. 16/

Mattie. @SGA_DU president. Wrote a grant funded by Unite Inc. for Dillard students to mentor students as part of the @dbinola program. Heading to @BCSSW as a master's student in their Black Leadership Initiative cohort. 17/

Lauren. This summer she will be interning at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado working with poison dart frogs, koi fish, pythons, boas, and parrots! This fall she'll attend @CVMTU . 18/

Taylor. Another member of the @DillardMock team. Will attend @bowenlaw this fall. 19/

Jermany (with a J). Salutatorian. Senior class representative. Senior advisor for @HausofPride . Will pursue masters of public administration in his hometown, the city with soul, at @JacksonStateU . 20/

Iman. Co-Valedictorian. Chapter president of @aka1938 . Theatre major. Offered a scholarship to attend @EmersonCollege . 21/

Jillian. Daughter of @du1869 professor and @DU_Diamonds coach Dr. Jana Smith. Will begin her career by participating in the inaugural LAUNCH: HBCU Fellowship Program hosted by @Dreamworks DreamWorks and @HBCU20x20 . 22/

Nadia. Full time mom with full time job. Co-Valedictorian. Her story has been picked up by @theadvocateno @AP & others. 23/

Judge Kern Reese. Yes, I called him the GOAT! Orleans Civil District Court Judge. Spent a couple of hours 2 nights a week coaching @DillardMock (after long days at work). Traveled with team to competitions. Poured so much into our students! 24/

I channeled Biggie Smalls on Saturday. I had a story to tell. Thanks to #DU22 for providing the lyrics so I could narrate the most powerful commencement experience I've been part of. I love celebrities, but these folks will be celebrities- count on it. 25/25