Southern University at Shreveport (SUSLA) will host Mayor Adrian Perkins as this year’s distinguished commencement speaker for the 2019 Spring Ceremony, Monday, May 20, 2019, at 5:30 p.m. at The Shreveport Convention Center.
Approximately 200 students will graduate from numerous disciplines including Business Studies, Allied Health Sciences and Nursing, Arts and Humanities, and Science and Technology. Additionally, area high school students in the pilot Dual Enrollment Program (high school and college courses) will also walk across the stage receiving certifications and/or degrees.
“We are honored that Mayor Perkins will address our graduates and guests at the commencement,” states SUSLA Chancellor Dr. Rodney Ellis. “We consider him to be an inspiration to our students and for our city. He’s also an excellent example of what happens when youth go for their dreams.”
Mayor Perkins is Shreveport’s 56th mayor and the city’s youngest mayor. He is a Shreveport native and a graduate of Captain Shreve High School. He accepted a nomination to West Point, where he was the first African-American cadet elected Class President in the Academy’s history. Subsequently, he deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, achieving the rank of Captain and Company Commander in the United States Army.
After three tours of duty, Perkins enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he was once again elected Student Body President. Instead of following the typical arc of a Harvard Law School graduate’s career by working at a law firm, Mayor Perkins chose a non-traditional route in the field of law and decided to return to Shreveport to serve the community.