PVAMU Summer 2021 graduate candidates from left to right: Simone Jarmon, KiMaja Clay, Marsja Stearnes and Mya Matthews
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (August 12, 2021) – Prairie View A&M University’s (PVAMU) 110th Summer Commencement Convocation will be held August 14, 2021, at the William “Billy” J. Nicks, Sr. Building. This summer, PVAMU expects to award 276 degrees to students, including 192 bachelor’s degrees, 74 master’s degrees and ten doctorates.
“I think for a lot of people, the pandemic was, unfortunately, a time of stress and fear,” said Marsja Stearnes, who’s earning a Ph.D. this semester in clinical psychology. “I did experience a lot of those feelings, but I was kind of in a unique position because, completing the last year of my Ph.D., I had a little more freedom.” Stearnes used the pandemic to found and develop Pause Therapy, a mental health tech platform committed to providing culturally competent care.
Bachelor of Business Administration in Management candidate Imari Kannady did the same thing – founded a business before finishing her degree work on “The Hill.” She runs an online lash business called General Lash and is in the final stages of launching a clothing line. She’s also exploring brick-and-mortar locations for a hookah bar.
Imari Kannady
“PVAMU has a lot of influence on Black entrepreneurs. They have helped me grow my business,” she said. Kannady also credits PVAMU’s incredible network for helping to get her feet on the ground, especially as a first-generation college student. Nearly 37% of summer 2021 graduates are included in that group.
“Being a first-generation college student means that you can’t rely on family members to teach you about university life,” said Yesenia Davila. Davila graduated last May with undergraduate degrees in architecture and construction science and will receive a Master of Architecture degree this summer. “Everything was so new to me. So that meant that I had to step outside my comfort zone and do things without having a clue about what I was doing.”
Yesenia Davila
Davila, along with many other Panthers who have earned degrees from PVAMU, forged their paths to better lives for themselves and their families. They are more than happy to keep the tradition going.
“My parents met at Prairie View; my aunt went here, and so did my brother and cousin. My younger sister is starting here this fall; in fact, she’s moving on campus in a couple of days,” said agriculture major Nycole Anderson.
Nycole Anderson
“Our student body is unmatched,” said music major Mya Matthews. “The energy and love for the school that our students have is beautiful.”
Visit www.pvamu.edu/academicaffairs/commencement/graduates to view this semester’s notable graduates and read more of their stories.
Visit www.pvamu.edu/commencement to learn more information about PVAMU’s summer graduation celebration.
PVAMU Commencement Statistics (Summer 2021)*
Number of degrees (by college/school)
- College of Agriculture and Human Sciences: 7
- School of Architecture: 22
- Marvin D. and June Samuel Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences: 74
- College of Business: 41
- Whitlowe R. Green College of Education: 44
- Roy G. Perry College of Engineering: 38
- College of Juvenile Justice: 43
- College of Nursing: 4
- Undergraduate Studies: 3
Number of degrees (by in-state, out-of-state, international)
- In-state: 231
- Out-of-state: 26
- International: 19
Percentage of degrees awarded to first-generation students (undergraduate):
- 36.7%
*Graduation numbers as of 8/5/21 and are subject to change.
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