Nigel rocks out at the WSSU graduation

"I hope your dreams take you ... to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known."

— Author Unknown

I have attended a number of commencement exercises at Winston-Salem State University over the last 10 years, primarily as a board of trustees member. This year the experience would be different. I was recording and reporting on the action before and during the ceremony.

My wife and I arrived earlier than usual. The halls were empty, the lights dimmed and the coliseum mostly quiet. An hour or so later, I would be weaving my way through the sea of graduates, capturing their reasons for being thankful and asking them to describe their university experience in one word.

A slow-motion picture unfolded as they arrived early to line up for their big day. Proud family and friends arrived with cameras in hand, ready to capture that special picture of their graduates. Cheering sections rotated through the coliseum like the "wave" as graduates crossed the stage.

I was equipped with a laptop, flip camera, my iPhone and iPad. My self-imposed assignment for the day — capture students in pictures, video their responses and report key moments during the ceremony via Twitter, including a few pictures.

Before my first "tweet" announcing the beginning of the ceremony, I took a stroll around the inside of the coliseum. The University Symphonic Band was tuning up and the University Choir was preparing for JaKenya Pearson, a soprano, to sing "I Know I've Been Changed." She brought the house down. A few moments earlier the choir was huddled together in prayer, a quiet moment before the masses arrived.

Before being challenged and encouraged by ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith to go forth with no excuses and to take on the world, I was busy with my iPhone recording the moment.

"So, who would you like to say thank you, give a 'shout out' to?" I asked the graduates as they arrived.

"I want to thank my husband for supporting me and all my company," a nursing graduate told me.

A common refrain: Thank you, Lord! Thank you, God! Hallelujah!

"I want to thank Jesus himself," one young lady said sincerely.

A young man thanked his "mom, dad, son and God too."

"I want to thank everybody, thank God and thank myself for getting through this," another student shared as her friends joined in laughter.

I caught one woman off guard and initially speechless. She recovered rather well with this comment: "Thank you to WSSU for a wonderful opportunity to further my education."

Another nurse spoke from her heart, saying, "I thank my family for their support, WSSU for giving us this opportunity and all my classmates for making it through."

"Thank you for everything, I finally made it," a young man said. He had a lot to be thankful for. He initially started school in 1985.

Wanda, a distance-learning student, was thankful to God, her family and the VA for paying for her education. Her university experience in one word: unique.

"Being a distance-learning student, completing assignments online, working back and forth through the campus was very convenient," she told me.

Jennifer's one word was inspiring. "Wow," she said, pausing before continuing her thought. "I met so many people from so many different places and hearing about their challenges in going to school, it just really inspired me do well, too."

Other reasons given for being thankful: "I am thankful that it was close to home."

"I am thankful that we are finished."

"My husband is thankful we are done."

"I am thankful and blessed to actually be here today and walk across the stage and show off to my family and friends what I have accomplished in four years."

Another student's one word description of her WSSU experience: Humbling. "It teaches you a lot about yourself," she responded. "It is not about you, it is about community."

Justin Jenkins gave a "shout out" to his mom and grandma. He is the first son, grandson to graduate from college. "I came a long way."

My last "tweet" of the day: commencement is done!

Now, it is time to start over again.