NCCU Graduate School

“Fairytales come true... you gotta make ‘em happen.”
“Proof I can master anything!”
“One eternity later.” 😭🎓

This year’s grad caps told stories of perseverance, humor, growth, faith, and determination.

Every message represented a Graduate Eagle who pushed through challenges and made it to the other side.

Congratulations to the North Carolina Central University Class of 2026! 🦅

🎓 | Tamara Curtis

Every teacher leaves fingerprints on the future.

Tamara graduates from NCCU with her Master of Arts in Teaching, stepping into her next chapter equipped with knowledge, compassion, and the power to inspire the next generation.

Her journey reflects perseverance, preparation, and a commitment to building brighter paths for others through education.

Today’s degree is more than a personal achievement — it’s a reminder that the work of shaping lives matters deeply.

And she’s just getting started.

🎓 | Yolanda Little

Leadership is not just about position — it’s about impact.
Yolanda earns her Master of Public Administration, bringing wisdom, service, and a people-first spirit into every room she enters.

From Greensboro, NC to this proud achievement, her journey reflects what it means to grow through experience while remaining committed to creating meaningful change for others.

Some degrees prepare you for a career. Others prepare you to move communities forward.

This one does both.

🎓 | Margaret Johnson

Some people speak through words. Others speak through presence, passion, and rhythm.

Margaret graduates from NCCU with her Master of Jazz Studies, carrying artistry shaped by discipline, emotion, and soul.

From Woodbridge, VA to this defining moment, her journey reflects the beauty of trusting your gift enough to nurture it — even when the process demands patience.

Like jazz itself, her story is layered, bold, expressive, and impossible to ignore.

🎓 | Trinity Gathright

There’s a difference between wanting it and working for it. Trinity did both.

Earning her Master of Business Administration, she represents ambition backed by faith, long nights turned into milestones, and the kind of determination that refuses to fold under pressure.

Her story is proof that when preparation meets purpose, doors open.

Simple. Powerful. True.

God did.

🎓 | Margaret Fryman

Softness and strength can exist in the same story.

Margaret earns her Master of Arts in Psychology, bringing compassion, curiosity, and quiet determination into a future filled with possibility.

From Charlotte, NC to this milestone, her journey reminds us that hope is not passive — it’s what keeps us moving, growing, and believing in what’s ahead.

Today, that hope has wings.

🎓 | Krystal Best

Krystal celebrates earning her Master of Business Administration, proving that even through uncertainty, growth is still possible when you refuse to quit.

From Roanoke Rapids, NC to this well-earned moment, her journey reflects resilience, trust in God’s timing, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when nobody sees the work behind the scenes.

This degree is more than an accomplishment. It’s evidence of endurance.

🎓 | Jasmine Richards

Some journeys teach you facts. Others teach you who you are.
Jasmine leaves NCCU with her Master of Science in Criminal Justice — but more importantly, with confidence sharpened, perspective expanded, and a voice strengthened through every challenge she faced along the way.

Her story is still unfolding, but one thing is already clear: she’s walking into her next chapter grounded in purpose and unafraid to take up space.

The world better listen.