Cliff Hollis
Graduates received kudos and well wishes from ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard, the UNC Board of Governors, faculty, administrators and their own senior class officer, who said the memories they made together at ECU are what bonds “Pirate Nation.” “I can’t imagine spending the last few years with any other people,” continued Clark Williams. “Congratulations on your big day.” The commencement speaker was cardiac psychology expert Sam Sears, director of the health psychology program at ECU and recipient of the O. Max Gardner Award. Sears asked that as graduates write their life stories, they can continue telling the story of East Carolina.
Class of ’13 celebrates milestones at fall commencement
“I’m ready to go; I’m just a free spirit,” said Kelley Logan, a graduate from the College of Health and Human Performance. “But ECU will always have my heart.” More than 2,300 students received degrees at fall commencement, including about 1,600 bachelor degrees and 723 graduate degrees.
ship. Blinking lights rimmed the cap’s edges “so my parents can see me,” she said.
“It’s been a wild ride. This past month has been exciting and nerve-wracking, looking for jobs and trying to graduate.”
Jay Clark
Though their degrees were conferred on Friday the 13th, ECU’s most recent class of graduates knows they are lucky to be Pirates.
“We have to tell the story of East Carolina University. You have to demonstrate the value of East Carolina. It’s your efforts that tell the real story. No matter where you go from here, you will always be from East Carolina now.” —Crystal Baity and Kathryn Kennedy
Sam Sears
College of Nursing graduates Kate Murdock, Brooke Taylor and Reagan Moore held tubes of confetti, cans of silly string and noise poppers as they waited to walk in the processional. Perched on Murdock’s mortar board was a tall foam pirate 9