More than 120 undergraduate and graduate students from the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences’ four departments and 21 programs became part of the Class of 2022 on May 14, at the university’s largest-ever graduation event, inspired by keynote remarks from three-time Emmy award-winning journalist Sunny Hostin.

Students applied for a record 1,994 degrees for spring commencement.

“Each member of the graduating class holds a special place in the story of North Carolina A&T,” Chancellor Harold L. Martin, Sr. told a packed Greensboro Coliseum. “Your studies and success…culminate today in a moment that will live on in the history of our university.”

Keynote speaker Sunny Hostin, an author, attorney, producer and award-winning host of “The View” talk show on ABC, was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters.

She encouraged graduates to follow the advice of great American author Mark Twain and decide who they wanted to be – but also to know who they did not want to be.

“You are not bound by the circumstances of your birth,” she said. “I did not let being from the South Bronx define me.

“In this world of turmoil, we need Aggies more than ever,” she continued, urging graduates to  participate actively in larger conversations taking place in the country.

“Enter the room and use your voice,” she told the graduates. “While humility is a virtue, it never hurts to walk with a bit of pride. I am so proud of you – all 1,900 of you.”