Savannah State University will hold its 201st undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremony on Friday, Dec. 9, at T. A. Wright Stadium with alumna Nikita Pearson, Class of 1998, as the esteemed commencement speaker. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Approximately 300 students will receive master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees.A native of Thomson, Ga., Pearson serves in senior leadership at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in Washington, D.C., as deputy to the chairman for External Affairs and director of the agency’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion. Earlier this year, the Association of Government Accountants presented Pearson its inaugural Eleanor Clark Diversity Leadership Award for her contributions to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Pearson testified before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee to enhance diversity within the FDIC’s own workforce and to create a more inclusive U.S. banking and financial system. She serves as co-chair of the Economic Development Cluster of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). As a recognized leader on DEIA issues, Pearson has been featured in national podcasts, on Federal News Network, and in numerous national publications.
Pearson earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from Savannah State University, where she graduated magna cum laude and joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She also completed the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, and holds an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
Live stream the ceremony and learn more about graduation exercises by visiting savannahstate.edu/commencement.
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