ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – One of Winthrop University’s most famous alumni is thrilled to add the title of doctor to her name.
Award-winning actress Shanola Hampton ’98 has an undergraduate theatre degree from Winthrop but will soon have a second degree, a doctor of humane letters. At the 10 a.m. Commencement ceremony on May 10, Winthrop will bestow on her the honorary degree to celebrate her success in the entertainment field.
Hampton will then give the Commencement address, telling the Class of 2025 about lessons she has learned from her years appearing in movies and on television. Her audience includes soon-to-be graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Commencement represents the end of the academic year, as well as the end of a chapter for hundreds of Winthrop students finishing their degrees. President Edward Serna ’02 will preside over a Graduate Commencement for 175 candidates on May 8 and then the two Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies on May 10, for a total of 550 undergraduates.
Hampton is best known for her portrayal of Veronica Fisher in Showtime’s award-winning television show “Shameless.” She currently produces and stars as Gabi Mosely in the NBC drama series “Found” and is the face model of Rochelle in the video game “Left 4 Dead 2.”
The Commencement speaker for the 3 p.m. ceremony for the College of Business and Technology and the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences is Rock Hill resident Warren Norman. Son of Fifth District Congressman Ralph Norman, R-SC, he is one of four managing partners in the family’s real estate business, the Warren Norman Company.
He is involved in commercial development, financial planning, securing debt and equity, project design and construction, site acquisition, leasing and site sales. He has been active with the creation of Miracle Park, the city of Rock Hill’s state-of-the-art park for people of all abilities.
Norman has a bachelor’s degree in special education from Presbyterian College. His wife, Chrissi, graduated in 2000 from Winthrop with an art degree.
Winthrop’s Commencement schedule is as follows:
Thursday, May 8, Winthrop Coliseum – Graduate Commencement
7 p.m. – Candidates will be hooded as part of the ceremony to receive their master’s or specialist degrees. The Jane LaRoche Graduate Faculty Award will be presented to Sherry Hoyle, an associate professor in the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences.
Saturday, May 10, Winthrop Coliseum – Undergraduate Commencement
10 a.m. – Baccalaureate degrees will be awarded to graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Visual and Performing Arts. During the ceremony, English Professor Matthew Fike will be presented with the Distinguished Professor Award and Assistant Professor of Human Nutrition Jessie Hoffman will receive the Outstanding Junior Professor Award.
3 p.m. – Baccalaureate degrees will be presented to graduates from the College of Business and Technology and the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences.
Rock Hill residents who are not attending the Commencement ceremonies may want to stay away from the Winthrop Coliseum area due to the heavy traffic anticipated during the two days. Signs will be posted near the coliseum encouraging those not attending to take a different route.
For those who cannot attend the May 8 and May 10 ceremonies, there will be a live stream available on YouTube. Please visit the university’s homepage and click on the “Commencement Information” graphic to access the video and other important information regarding Commencement.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or longshawj@winthrop.edu.
