SC State celebrates three graduates entering the teaching profession

Lashawna Brooks, Akiah Moorer and Jayda Morgan were inducted Monday in a campus ceremony.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- Caring, attentive teachers who created a quality learning environment were among the things that three aspiring educators say South Carolina State University provided them along their educational journey.

“I really do feel that SC State has prepared me for this career. I’ve had some amazing professors. Everything that I’ve been through throughout these past 3½ years has just prepared me for this moment,” Akiah Moorer said.

The 37-year-old was among three graduates who were welcomed into the teaching profession during the Fall 2025 Educators’ Induction Program that SC State’s College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences held Monday, Dec. 8, at the campus Fine Arts Building.

The college and its Department of Education conduct the ceremony at the conclusion of each semester ahead of commencement exercises.

The induction marked the scholars’ completion of their clinical education experiences in local schools ahead of the university’s Fall 2025 Commencement on Thursday, Dec. 11.

Moorer will receive her bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

 Moorer said SC State has prepared her for her future career in education.

“I’ve had some amazing professors. Everything that I’ve been through throughout these past 3½ years has just prepared me for this moment. I’m just really going to take this moment, soak it all in, and just thank God for what it is,” she said.

Brooks fulfills a lifelong dream of teaching

The other two graduates who were recognized at the induction program were Lashawna Brooks, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, and Jayda Morgan, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

“This day has been a long time coming. This day is very special and very important to me. I’m a nurse going into education. It has meant so much,” Moorer said, reflecting on her educational journey.

“I’m ready to get out there and be able to educate kids, be able to help them become who they are and learn. It’s been a journey, but it’s been a great journey,” she said.

Brooks said she has always wanted to be a teacher.

“Ever since I was little, I remember dressing up during career day as a teacher. It has been my dream for all my life. It’s so very important to me,” she said.

The 22-year-old said the university had prepared her well for the teaching profession.

“I feel very prepared to go and have my own classroom after being taught by my professors. I feel that they did an excellent job, and I know I’m going to be an amazing teacher,” Brooks said.

Morgan overcomes challenges as a COVID-era student

Morgan, 24, said she came to the university just after having graduated high school in 2020, the year the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“Coming in as a COVID grad, I didn’t know how far I was going to go. So I had days where it was really hard for me. I considered dropping out, but something just kept me going. Finally getting here today means a whole lot,” she said.

Morgan said she learned a lot during her educational journey at SC State.

“My professors here are awesome. The classrooms here are very small. So I had that one-on-one time with each of my professors. Whatever I needed, I was always able to call someone. They would get me the resources or point me in the direction of the next person. I’m really happy and grateful,” she said.

 Guest speaker encourages perseverance and community

Herman L. Jamison Jr., an SC State alumnus and assistant principal at William J. Clark Middle School in Orangeburg, was the guest speaker during the ceremony.

Jamison gave an inspiring speech with tips on how the three graduates could be effective educators, including by creating a positive culture for students that promotes innovation. He said the hurdles and initial nervousness he experienced during his first year of teaching were superseded by his love for education. 

His tools for success for the graduates included being firm, fair and consistent with their students while also sharing their expectations of them in a respectful environment.

“The work we do cannot be done in isolation,” said Jamison, who urged the graduates to not be afraid to ask for help when it is needed. 

“Make sure you’re continuously learning…. Make the world remember your name,” he said.

Program boasts long-standing national accreditation

Dr. M. Evelyn Fields, dean of the College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, administered the Educators’ Oath to the three inductees at the conclusion of the ceremony.

SC State President Alexander Conyers said of the new teachers, “We look forward to them crossing that stage on Thursday and into the workforce.”

SC State University’s teacher education program is nationally recognized by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, or CAEP. The program has been accredited since 1969 and meets rigorous standards set by CAEP, ensuring high-quality education for aspiring teachers.

For more information about SC State’s teacher education programs, visit www.scsu.edu/teach.

SC State's Fall Commencement exercises will be conducted on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, beginning at 10 a.m. in Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. The university expects to award 210 undergraduate and graduate degrees.