276 receive diplomas at COA graduation

Graduates River Waters and Jamere Watkins posed for a photo together before the start of College of The Albemarle’s spring graduation on Wednesday.

Perhaps they’ll pose for another graduation photo after completing their four-year degrees. Both said they plan to transfer to East Carolina University.

Waters, 18, said he plans to study applied atmospheric sciences at ECU and perhaps seek a career in geography. He also has an interest in filmmaking, so that is another of his academic interests.

“I might take some film classes, also,” he said.

Watkins, 17, said he plans to study business at ECU to one day become a financial adviser. He said the people he met and the campus resources are among what he’ll miss most about his time at COA.

Waters and Watkins were among a total of 276 graduates in COA’s spring 2024 graduating class. The commencement was held Wednesday evening in the Performing Arts Center on COA’s Elizabeth City campus.

COA President Jack Bagwell congratulated the graduates, as well as their family members in attendance. Before concluding his opening remarks, Bagwell shared his advice to the graduates.

“The only thing that I can promise you is that whatever you think tomorrow will look like, it will be different than you can imagine,” he said. “You will have to learn things that you thought you would never have to learn. You’ll have to identify skills that didn’t exist a few months ago and learn them, perfect them and incorporate them into whatever job or endeavor that you’re currently undertaking.”

Bagwell next introduced two graduates who were nominated by the COA faculty to address their fellow graduates. The first to speak was Riley Parker, who graduated summa cum laude with an associate in arts degree. According to Bagwell, Parker has been accepted into the honors college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study pre-med.

“My fellow graduates, as we embark on this new chapter of our lives, let’s do so with determination, resilience and perseverance,” Parker said. “Dream bold and never, ever give up.”

The second graduate to speak was Sean Whidbee, who, according to Bagwell, originally entered COA to study information technology.

“However, passions for connecting with his children led him to the fine arts department,” Bagwell said.

Whidbee, 51, recalled his decision to switch from studying information technology to earning an associate degree in fine arts in theatre.

“It all began with my three daughters: three beautiful souls who lit my world with their passion for music and theater,” he said. “As a father who wanted to connect with his children on a deeper level, I found myself drawn to the world of fine arts.”

That world introduced him to the theatre, which gave him “solace and joy,” he said.

“Every script I memorized, every character I portrayed, every stage I graced brought me closer to my daughters, and enriched our bond in ways I could never imagine,” Whidbee said.

Bagwell presented the COA President’s Service Cup to Damaris Ambrosio-Reyes, who graduated magna cum laude with an associate in arts degree.

Ambrosio-Reyes served as president and vice president of COA’s Student Government Association, Bagwell said.

“Demaris attends church in her local Chowan community and volunteers helping members of the Hispanic community who have questions about attending college,” Bagwell said. “Demaris plans to pursue a career in law and is considering attending UNC-Chapel Hill.”