Mother and Daughter to Graduate from FAMU Together

A mother and daughter are slated to graduate from Florida A&M at this Saturday’s Spring Commencement.

Nursing major Susan Dunbar shares “significant milestone” with her daughter, Ayonna Dunbar, according to a new post on the FAMU website this week. Nearly 1,400 candidates are set to receive their diplomas at the Spring Commencement ceremony at the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.

Susan Dunbar said her loved ones helped get her through the journey. She graduated from FAMU in 1983 with a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing and returned for her master’s degree in 2009, “two years after Ayonna Dunbar started her first semester and the same semester her son Darius Dunbar, 20, started classes at FAMU.”

“My family and friends supported me throughout my tenure at FAMU,” Susan Dunbar was quoted as saying. “When I thought that I could not do it, they encouraged me.”

 

Ayonna Dunbar, 23, is also excited about graduating alongside her mother.

“This is really exciting because I thought I was going to experience the excitement of graduation alone,” said Ayonna Dunbar. “I’m glad to have my mother to share this moment with me.”

Atlanta Mayor M. Kasim Reed will serve as the keynote speaker for FAMU’s 9 a.m. Spring Commencement ceremony and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson will serve as the 2 p.m. speaker.  Doors will open for the public at 8 a.m. for the 9 a.m. ceremony and at 1 p.m. for the 2 p.m. ceremony.

Susan Dunbar graduates with honors, at the 2 p.m. ceremony. Ayonna Dunbar will receive her diploma during the 9 a.m. ceremony.     

   

“This is the greatest Mother’s Day gift I could ever receive,” said Susan Dunbar. “Having my daughter and myself graduate at the same time is awesome.”