University of Mount Olive honors graduates at Saturday ceremony
By Steve Herring
Published in News on December 14, 2014 1:50 AM
News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Susan Floyd Caines became the first person to be awarded a master's degree at the University of Mount Olive Saturday afternoon.
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Deris Lewis celebrates after getting his diploma during the University of Mount Olive commencement Saturday. More than 300 diplomas were awarded during the ceremony.
MOUNT OLIVE -- Susan Floyd Caines pulled off a smooth recovery after stepping on her gown.
Then she had to readjust the hood after it got placed around her mouth.
She was even first in line.
But all of that didn't merit as much as a raised eyebrow after surviving a demanding yearlong fast-track program to become the first graduate to receive a degree in the University of Mount Olive's Master of Business Administration program.
Mrs. Caines, of Whiteville, was one of 11 students to receive their master's degree Saturday afternoon during the university's 61st commencement at Kornegay Arena.
Another nearly 300 undergraduate degrees were awarded amid to the shouts and cheers of family and friends.
Many of those earned their master's had also earned an undergraduate degree from Mount Olive and had waited for the new program to start instead of going elsewhere.
Since it is primarily an online program, many of the MBA students had not met each other until posing for a group photo on the Alumni Crosswalk just prior to graduation.
However, they all laughed and hugged like old friends.
They all shared similar stories of sacrifices made by their families as well as themselves.
Graduate Christina Michelle Valverde, 37, of Wilmington and Mrs. Caines, 40, earned bachelor degrees at Mount Olive.
"I had been waiting for Mount Olive because I had heard it (master's program) was coming," Mrs. Valverde said. "The reason that I chose Mount Olive is because it was a fast track. It was only a one-year program. I wanted something that I wasn't going to have to do the two years, so that is what attracted me to it and the fact that it was all online.
"I had been to Mount Olive before and knew a lot of instructors and how they taught. It wasn't anything like I expected. It was a whole lot harder. What I mean is that I work full time and have two children."
Mrs. Valverde said she would come home from work, do a little around the house and then she would sit down at the computer around 7 p.m. and stay there until 2 a.m.
"Weekends? We didn't have weekends for the last year," she said. "(My sons) had to step up and do what I couldn't do. They took care of everything."