BY DUDLEY BROWN
Alexander Smalls ’74 shared the lyric of his life and his secret sauce during his Commencement address to the Class of 2023.
Smalls, who attended Wofford in the early 1970s, is a Tony, Grammy and James Beard award winner. He encouraged graduates to, “Always start with the best ingredients.”
Then, he reassured them that they possessed what they need for life.
“You are your best recipe for your best life,” Smalls said.
“Discovering the wonder of your authentic truth is how you uncover your greatness. Hold on to your moral fabric and excite your humanity with generosity and kindness. Don’t be afraid to care about others. It is life changing. Never ever quit. … Always finish what you start with the intention to win.”
Wofford’s Class of 2023 included 369 graduates who received 384 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees.
The college’s 169th Commencement included all the traditions that many alumni remember: Honors Convocation, Baccalaureate, ROTC Commissioning and the Phi Beta Kappa induction. Presidential International Scholar Paola Cruz ’23 gave a presentation on her research in Argentina and Honduras that involved her performing songs inspired by her research.
The Class of 1973 celebrated its 50th reunion, and the first two Black women to graduate from Wofford, Janice Means ’73 and Gwendolyn Prince-Lawrence ’73, were in attendance. Prince-Lawrence and Means received applause when introduced during Baccalaureate and Commencement.
Honorary degree recipients
Wofford conferred honorary degrees on three people who have made significant contributions to the college, Spartanburg and the culinary and performing arts fields.
Patricia Gainey, the first woman to coach at Wofford, established the college’s first women’s athletics teams in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She started club basketball and volleyball teams for women at Wofford before starting varsity teams in those sports. After her time at Wofford, Gainey spent 32 years working in North Carolina’s Forsyth County Schools, where she held positions as a teacher, curriculum coordinator, assistant principal, principal and instructional superintendent. She was named the district’s principal of the year in 2015. She continues to volunteer in the community.
Brenda Lee Pryce is a former state legislator. In 1995, she became the first Black woman from Spartanburg elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. She represented House District 31 for 10 years. As a legislator, she secured funding for breast cancer education for underserved women in the Upstate, introduced a resolution designating a stretch of South Church Street in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., served on the legislature’s Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee and managed a successful campaign for Congressman James E. Clyburn. She’s a former member of the college’s President’s Advisory Council.
Alexander Smalls is believed to be the only person to win James Beard, Grammy and Tony awards. His first career was as an opera singer before opening renowned restaurants celebrating the Lowcountry cuisine inspired by his childhood. He’s also the author of three — soon to be four — cookbooks. Over the past 30 years, he’s traveled the world studying the cooking techniques and foodways of the African diaspora. In 2021, Smalls opened the first contemporary modern African dining hall in Dubai, and he is working to secure similar dining experiences in the United States and Europe.
Sullivan Award winners
The college presented the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award to Lilly Hatton ’23, a biology major from Georgetown, Ind. Isaiah Franco ’23, a double major in Spanish and international affairs from Newtown, Pa., received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
Non-student recipients of the Sullivan Awards were Laura Ringo, executive director of PAL: Play. Advocate. Live Well., in Spartanburg, and Yossi Liebowitz, rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel in Spartanburg.
Teaching awards
Dr. Kim Rostan, associate professor of English, is the college’s 17th recipient of the Philip Covington Award. She contributes to multiple academic programs on campus, including African and African-American Studies, Gender Studies, Intercultural Studies and Middle Eastern and North African Studies.
Dr. Aaron Garrett, associate professor and chair of the department of computer science, is the college’s 19th recipient of the Roger Milliken Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Science. He’s known for offering an astonishing number of office hours for his students and weekly board-game get-togethers for students and faculty to interact and practice problem solving.
Honor graduates
Six members of the Class of 2023 were recognized as Honor Graduates, all earning a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout their college careers. They are Logan Bradley, Nathan Faulstich, Lilly Hatton, Kennedy Smith, Jack Stomberger and Gray Whitener.
Commissioned officers
Five Wofford students were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army: Brooke Bozarth (signal), Chardonnay Durrah (quarter master), Danika Muller (chemical), McKenzie Norman (transportation) and John Martin Reed (armor).