PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 7, 2021) – “What I love most about Prairie View A&M University is that it continues to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for all students.”
Computer science major Devyn Allen is one of 1,015* students set to earn a degree this spring from Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), continuing the university’s 144-year-old tradition of Producing Productive People and changing the world for the better. This semester’s record-breaking number of students vying for a degree includes 886 bachelor’s candidates, 122 master’s candidates, and seven doctoral candidates from the university’s eight colleges, School of Architecture, and one of its newest additions, the Office of Undergraduate Studies.
“My biggest driving force right now is trying to make my girls proud; showing them that they can accomplish anything they put their mind to, and no matter how many times you get knocked down, keep getting up and keep fighting,” said Lee Taylor Jr., one of seven students a part of the first general studies cohort under the Office of Undergraduate Studies.
Brooke Meshack ’21
Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, PVAMU held three virtual graduation ceremonies last year for 1,739 graduates – one ceremony each in the spring, summer and fall. This semester, the university will hold its first in-person ceremony since 2019 on Saturday, May 15, in Panther Stadium with enforced safety precautions. In addition, 2020 graduates are invited back to campus on Friday, May 14, for a special recognition ceremony. Speakers for the events include distinguished scholar Michael Eric Dyson, and PVAMU Alumna and Emmy Award-winning entertainer Loni Love.
PVAMU’s spring 2021 candidates for graduation include hundreds of educators, engineers, architects, nutritionists, entrepreneurs and nurses, to name a few. This semester’s class proves nothing will slow them down, not even a once-in-a-lifetime global crisis.
Taylor Ann Perry, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing candidate, is looking forward to her new start as a registered nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland. She will be fighting on the frontline of the Covid-19 battle in a medical center that prides itself on setting “healthcare standards in patient care, research and education.”
Taylor Ann Perry ’21
“I am excited to start my nursing career at a world-renowned hospital that has the same philosophy as me,” Perry said.
Meanwhile, College of Business graduate student Harun A. Jones is headed to work at one of the top accounting firms in the nation, Deloitte & Touché LLP. Ultimately, his dream career goal is to open an accounting firm of his own, specifically, to help small business owners.
Allen is headed to technology giant Apple. Like Jones, he one day hopes to build his own tech giant with a greater purpose. “I aspire to build my own tech company for two reasons: To employ Black people, giving us a safe space to thrive and grow in tech, and to create products with the mission of elevating the Black community,” he said.
Devyn Allen ’21
For others, like Gregory Bowens, this spring commencement is not the final step, rather, their next step in pursuing their education and career aspirations.
“I will be attending the University of Florida in the fall on a full ride to pursue an M.Ed. in Student Personnel Higher Education,” said Bowens. “My ultimate dream is to become a Dean of Students and University President at a Historically Black College or University.”
Whether it’s a next step or the final step, every PVAMU alumni says their university provided a solid foundation and was pivotal to their success.
Alex Robinson ’21
“It is true that Prairie View Produces Productive People,” said Alex Robinson. “So many of my classmates are successful, whether that be academically, professionally or entrepreneurially. It rubs off on everyone else. We have no choice but to be great. We believe we can do anything we put our minds and actions toward.”
Visit www.pvamu.edu/academicaffairs/commencement/graduates to view this semester’s notable graduates and to read their stories.
Visit www.pvamu.edu/commencement to learn more information about PVAMU’s spring graduation celebrations.
PVAMU Commencement Statistics (Spring 2021)
Number of degrees (by college/school)
- College of Agriculture and Human Sciences: 56
- School of Architecture: 60
- Marvin D. and June Samuel Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences: 162
- College of Business: 135
- Whitlowe R. Green College of Education: 172
- Roy G. Perry College of Engineering: 222
- College of Juvenile Justice: 135
- College of Nursing: 73
Number of degrees (by in-state, out-of-state, international)
- In-state: 894
- Out-of-state: 83
- International: 38
Percentage of degrees awarded to first-generation students (undergraduate):
- 31%
*Graduation numbers as of 5/4/21 and are subject to change.
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