Featuring a keynote address from The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin, III, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Fayetteville State University (FSU) awarded 1,061 undergraduate degrees to students in an historic commencement ceremony celebrating student achievement, potential, and a spirit of service May 13 at the Crown Coliseum.

In addition to awarding over 1,000 undergraduate degrees, FSU awarded 326 graduate degrees this spring. Almost a third (32.3 percent) of the undergraduate degrees were awarded to first-generation college graduates. Top degrees by number of spring graduates include psychology, criminal justice, and nursing.

FSU Chancellor Darrell T. Allison, J.D., welcomed more than 3,000 guests for the celebratory occasion, including families and friends of the graduates; dignitaries from the U.S. Department of Defense; local, regional and state elected officials; members of the FSU Boards of Trustees and Visitors; representatives from Fort Liberty; alumni; faculty; and more. 

The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin, III, U.S. Secretary of Defense, graced attendees with a Spring 2023 undergraduate commencement address focused on the ideal of service.

“As a strong partner with the military-affiliated community and the number one HBCU in the nation that enrolls military-affiliated students, this historical moment of having Secretary Austin inspire our FSU graduates is greatly validating,” Allison said.

Secretary Austin, a retired U.S. Army four-star general, is the first African-American Secretary of Defense, assuming that role on January 22, 2021. He is the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the Department of Defense and serves on the National Security Council. He concluded his uniformed service as the Commander of U.S. Central Command, responsible for all military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. 

In congratulating the new graduates on a job well done, Secretary Austin also called them to live up to the promise of their newly earned degrees with a commitment to deeds of service.

“A degree from an HBCU, it means life-long pride and life-long responsibility. With all this university has given you, we need you to give something back,” Secretary Austin said. “Service deepens our democracy. Service brings us closer to the full promise of America’s founding. Service builds on itself. And long after you graduate, I hope that you will carry forward the FSU legacy of service.”

Secretary Austin’s visit to Fayetteville highlighted the DOD’s focus on the Value of Service to the Nation. In addition to delivering remarks at FSU’s commencement, Austin also spent time with Air Force and Army ROTC cadets and visited Fort Liberty to meet with U.S. Army Forces Command leaders and families from the 82nd Airborne Division.

While all our graduates are distinguished in some way, FSU wants to highlight a special duo in the graduating class of 2023: a mother-daughter team. This May, Treisha Faison proved it’s never too late to earn your degree when she received her criminal justice degree alongside her daughter, Zha’bria Marquez, who graduated with a degree in English and plans to study law.