Last Thursday night I was the speaker for the commencement ceremony at Snead State Community College in Boaz, Alabama, where degrees were conferred upon more than 200 students.  (Yes, I stayed well within my time limit for the speech.)  Far more significant than my remarks were the introductory comments of Snead’s chief academic officer, Dr. Jason Watts, who congratulated the students by relating the path of his own family.  The story began with the impoverished background of his grandfather in northern Alabama, how he somehow managed to enroll at Snead—and after two years found his way to Howard College.  Through a lifetime as a teacher, a preacher,and a loving parent, this grandfather brought renewed hope to his family.  

The world is better because Samford is still providing a path of hope.

 

  

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.