By James Wright Jr.
MSNBC President Rashida Jones addressed nearly 800 graduates, during commencement exercises for the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and its community college on May 11, encouraging them to approach life with a purpose and telling them they were special.
“Some people wish they could be in your seat,” said Jones during the graduation, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest. “UDC is a very unique school. UDC is part of the fabric of Washington, D.C.”
The graduation ceremony, which was the first for UDC President Maurice D. Edington, attracted hundreds of people to the convention center and countless others on livestream. University officials said the oldest graduate was 69 years old while the youngest was 19.
Jones, 42, is a graduate of Hampton University and received that institution’s Outstanding Twenty-Year Alumnus Award in 2022. Working through the broadcast journalism ranks, she became president of MSNBC in 2021.
Jones told the graduates not to fear or avoid the pressures of life.
“When there is pressure, you are doing something special,” Jones, the first Black woman to lead a major cable news network, said. “Pressure is a privilege. Pressure will make you better at what you do and will make you a better person.”
Jones encouraged the graduates to reach back into the community to help others as they work and achieve success. She urged them to celebrate their individuality, saying “don’t feel like you have to fit in, add to spaces because it is your superpower.”
Christopher Bell, the chairman of the university’s board of trustees, also congratulated the 2024 class and discussed the importance of giving back to others and becoming changemakers as part of their next steps.
“We love to celebrate your achievements, we love to celebrate your journey,” said Bell. “You are taking the most important step of your journey… Serve the community with passion. Go out and make the change you want to see.”
The graduation ceremony was special for 33-year-old Midas Hampton, who received a doctoral degree in urban leadership and entrepreneurship.
Hampton said he is happy to be a UDC graduate.“I pursued my degree during the pandemic,” said Hampton, who received his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina Upstate and two master’s degrees from Seattle University. “The faculty and administration were great working with me with online classes. When the pandemic ended, the transition to in-person classes was seamless. This was a good educational experience.”