East Tennessee State University celebrated more than 1,500 members of the Class of 2022 during two Commencement ceremonies held at the Ballad Health Athletic Center on December 10, 2022.
The College of Public Health graduate 44 undergraduate students, 18 master’s students, 1 doctoral student and 8 certificate students for the Fall 2022 semester.
At the afternoon ceremony, Larry D. Thornton Sr. delivered the commencement address. Thornton is president and owner of Thornton Enterprises, Inc., a McDonald’s franchisee. He serves on the board of directors for several organizations and is a well-known businessman and artist.
In April 2019, he added author to his résumé with his first book “Why Not Win?,” a reflection on his 50-year journey from the Jim Crow South to America’s boardrooms and the lessons he learned. The book led to the launch of the Why Not Win Institute, a leadership and professional development initiative.
Thornton asked graduates to consider three questions: Is this just? Is this honest? Is this the best that I can do?
“Some of the most pointed, some of the most powerful, some of the most poignant messages that you will ever deliver or receive will occur without the employment of a single word,” Thornton told the graduates.
Pictures from the ETSU College of Public Health Pinning and Hooding Ceremony from December 9, 2022 are available here.