Alderwoman Shabazz to Give Saint Leo University-Savannah Commencement Speech

 
 

Dr. Estella Shabazz, alderwoman, 5th District of the City of Savannah, will give the commencement address for Saint Leo University’s Savannah Education Center Class of 2019. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 8, at the Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah Civic Center, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave., Savannah, GA 31401.

About 120 students will receive degrees with 35 earning master’s degrees and the remainder earning bachelor’s and associate degrees from the Savannah Education Center.

For some graduates, it is a family affair. Twin sisters Diane Washington and Dione Washington Hicks; Diane’s daughter DaShai Washington, and two cousins, Burnett Johnson and Roeshelle Goodine, will graduate together. For Diane Washington, this will mark her third time receiving a degree from Saint Leo as she received an associate degree in 2012, then earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice in 2017. Now, she will hold a Master of Science degree in criminal justice-critical incident management. In August, she begins studying in Saint Leo University’s Doctor of Criminal Justice-homeland security program.

Washington-Hicks and DeShai Washington will receive associate degrees in liberal arts, while Johnson will receive her master’s in human resources management, and Roeshelle Goodine will graduate with a master’s in human services administration. Giving the Class of 2019 farewell will be Keysia Calmese. She is graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in human resource management.

Leading the new graduates in the turning of their tassels and welcoming them as new alumni will be Diana Stamps, who graduated in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in human services.

Commencement speaker Shabazz was first elected to the Savannah City Council in 2011 and is serving her second term as alderwoman for the 5th District. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering technology from Savannah State University, a Master of Divinity degree from Turner Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theology Center in Atlanta, and her Doctorate of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Trotwood, OH..

For information, email savannah@saintleo.edu or call (912) 352-8331.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.