Class of 2009 Ready to Graduate

Many members of Shaw University's Class of 2009 says there are ready according to Shaw SGA President Shaunte Brown.

According to university officials the class of 2009 may be the largest class Shaw to date. A special yearbook edition was issued in 2005 to honor them when they entered.

The Class of 2009 has chosen "Trailblazers" to be their senior theme. Their mural in the school's cafeteria reads, Trailblazers: The Class of Unforgettables."

"We are doing a lot to help the students through this tough journey," said Brown.

According to senior Lakiesha Wilder, "Grad school is the safest place right now." According to Wilder, "the economy is jacked up right now and I don't think it's safe for any of us to try to get a job right now."

Brian Cumberbatch is the university's Institutional Research Director for the Strategic Planning and Institutional Research department.

He is the person that delivers the numbers of those who are graduating and those who aren't.

"At first arrival class of 2009 had approximately 400 plus students. Their number has dropped over half to 140.

This just shows you how hard it can be sometimes to reach your ultimate goal," said Cumberbatch."

The university recently held a graduate seminar in the ballroom of the Willie E. Gary Center.

University officials said they created the seminar to expose seniors and juniors to graduate opportunities early on.

Flyers are posted all around the university informing students on specific dates and different tests needed to graduate. The Math Composition Test and the English Composition test are examples.

According to Brown, "the university is in the workings of putting together another job workshop where students get on spot interviews and network with those relevant to their field of study."

Brown said the focus is not just getting students to finish in May, but giving them opportunities beyond graduation.