Alumnus Shaun T leads a rousing Commencement 2019
Alumnus Shaun T leads a rousing Commencement 2019
May 11, 2019
In a ceremony filled with pageant, tradition, emotion and spirit, Rowan University celebrated the first day of Commencement 2019 Saturday, May 11, in Coach Richard Wackar Stadium.
Saturday was the first of five days of Commencement programming in which an estimated 3,800 students will participate. While many on Saturday customized their black graduation caps and gowns with ribbons and cords in a kaleidoscope of colors and styles, all wore thousand-watt smiles befitting their achievement.
Shaun T, the University’s 2013 distinguished alumnus, delivered a rousing keynote address that was at once personal and universal, imploring those before him to follow their passion wherever it may lead.
Introducing him, President Ali Houshmand, Rowan’s greatest booster, reminded students that as the University grows, so grows the value of every hard-earned degree.
Among Rowan’s many achievements over the past eight years, Rowan is now the sixth fastest growing research university in the U.S. The University's enrollment nearly doubled to 19,000 students over the past decade, it partnered in the $425 million, privately-funded Rowan Boulevard redevelopment project, opened Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and acquired the School of Osteopathic Medicine. Rowan also earned Carnegie R2 (high research activity) designation as a doctoral-level research university.
“We’re no longer a regional university, we are a national university!” Houshmand said.
Born Shaun Thompson, the 2001 Rowan graduate, a leader in the multi-billion dollar health and fitness industry, is the founder of Shaun T Inc., a company that, since 2007, has generated $1 billion in sales with a string of at-home workout blockbusters including Hip Hop Abs, INSANITY and Transform: 20.
“I’m home, everybody!” he called to an ecstatic stadium of graduates, family and friends, prompting thousands to shake and shout. “Make some noise!”
Recalling a trip to South Africa where his family climbed Table Mountain in Cape Town, Thompson told listeners that the challenge is not necessarily reaching the peak, but seeing what lies beyond it.
“It’s about, yeah, I did this! Look around and see how far you’ve come.”
Thompson, a one-time Communication major who said he initially dreamed of becoming “the next Anderson Cooper,” found a passion in health and fitness when, seeking to lose weight he’d gained as a freshman, he taught his first exercise class in Rowan’s Student Rec Center.
In recognition of the great success he’s forged, Thompson was awarded a Medal of Excellence for Entrepreneurship.
Recognizing honorees
During the ceremony, Rowan also awarded disability rights activist Judith Heumann an honorary doctoral degree. Among her many achievements, Heumann co-founded the World Institute on Disability in 1983 and was appointed Special Advisor for International Disability Rights by President Barack Obama. She also served as Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services under President Bill Clinton.
Rowan also honored N.J. State Senator Troy Singleton ’05, as the University’s Distinguished Alumnus 2019. Singleton, who holds a degree in finance from Rowan, won a seat in the State’s General Assembly in 2011 and his first term in the Senate in 2017.
A special surprise
As it did last year, Rowan’s main Commencement ceremony featured a random drawing for $5,000 funded by Gourmet Dining, the University’s official food vendor. The winner of the drawing was James Chiara, a music and education major.
Though biological sciences major Stephen Espinosa did not win the $5,000 -- which would have become $50,000 had Chiara won a cornhole toss following the drawing -- he beamed with excitement as he enters life’s next chapter.
“I’m going to be a microbiologist, testing substances, including for food safety, to make sure they’re safe,” he said.
Espinosa credited Rowan with not only providing him the education to seek the career of his dreams but with pushing him to get experience before graduating.
“Most importantly, Rowan made it affordable for me to get my degree,” he said. "For that I’ll be forever grateful.”
See the first day of Commencement 2019 in pictures with a full, sharable Facebook gallery!