Hundreds of Students Clear Hurdle to Graduate in 2023 Commencement

By Deidra W. Hill, EdD

Each year, hundreds of seniors have balances that must be cleared before they are given permission to graduate, and Howard University offers options to assist students in fulfilling their dreams of becoming college graduates. In fact, nearly 500 students had their financial balances cleared to participate in 2023 Commencement.

Reginald Singleton (’23, SOC), a native of Marrero, Louisiana, is one of those students. A proud Howard University 2023 graduate, he experienced an amazing commencement at Capital One Arena where President Joseph R. Biden was the speaker in May. But in the weeks preceding that spectacular day, graduation was looking like a dream deferred because he owed money to the University.

As Singleton worked diligently to clear his financial balance, the media, journalism and film major sought help from many areas on campus. The School of Communications, Howard University Alumni Association and Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel all helped, but he needed additional financial support. Family and friends were on their way to Washington, D.C., to witness his graduation, and he could feel the stress mounting.

Running out of options and hoping for a miracle, Singleton was asked to contact the Development and Alumni Relations Office during the week of Commencement. Working with DAR staff was a major step that led to the moment Singleton was waiting for—being cleared to participate in Commencement. “It was a great relief knowing that I completed the last obstacle of my journey to being a Howard University graduate,” he said.

Singleton chose to matriculate at Howard because “I wanted to go to an HBCU. It was the combination of recommendations from my friends who graduated high school that were already there and researching all the HBCUs. I thought Howard was the best one for me.”

After graduation, Singleton will complete an internship with UYA Productions, an independent organization in New Orleans that specializes in telling stories through film documentaries and interviews. Then he’s off to working with Major League Baseball in its Diversity Fellowship program. Through the nine-month program, he will help promote MLB producing newsletters, working closely with producers and assisting in coverage of games and events.

“My plan is to work my way up through the program and have a career in sports broadcasting both on and off camera,” Singleton said.

(This article appeared in the June 2023 edition of Beyond the Yard.)