University Recognizes 'Hidden Heroes' at Annual Celebration

The ceremony recognizes staff who completed their bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees during the 2023-24 school year or in August 2024 and reflects the university's dedication to education, Chancellor Glenn Boyce said.

"I want to start by saying this is a major milestone for each of you," Boyce said. "We want to recognize your dedication to our university – thank you, first and foremost – and we want to honor your commitment to lifelong learning.

"The Red and Blue Celebration is a wonderful tradition that reflects our culture of providing, nurturing and encouraging academic excellence. Earning a degree while balancing work, personal obligations and outside activities presents unique challenges.

"It requires a type of persistence, hard work, focus, discipline and commitment that many people don't understand."

The Red and Blue Celebration of Achievement began in 2018 to recognize staff members who continue their education while working for the university. Since then, the event has recognized more than 150 staff members as Red and Blue Graduates.

Among this year's graduating class were five bachelor's, 11 master's and 11 doctoral degrees. Participating employees came from departments across campus, including the schools of Journalism, Education and Applied Sciences.

Each graduate received a red-and-blue cord to wear when they cross the stage during this year's Commencement ceremonies.

Channing Barkley drove all the way from the Tupelo campus to receive his cords. Barkley will graduate with his bachelor's degree in business administration in management this weekend.

He said he hopes his degree will help him achieve his dream of working on the business side of health care.

"I got my job in the middle of getting my degree and went full time, but I was only about 20 hours from finishing my classes," he said. "(Completing his degree) really helped me to learn how to manage my time and not put things off."

Provost Noel Wilkin told the graduates that every class they took helped them better understand students and become better stewards of the university. Billy Benson, Jr., who will receive his doctorate in higher education this weekend, agreed.

"If I want to do the work in higher education and make an impact on people's lives, I need the knowledge to do that," said Benson, assistant director of Equal Opportunity and Regulatory Compliance. "I think that going back and getting that education gives us a better understanding of the students we work with.

"We want to foster the environment for students to thrive, but we need the tools to do so."

For every student, however, education is also a team effort – whether that be their spouses or parents, their coworkers or their instructors, Wilkin said.

For Bree Gates, associate director of residential experience in Student Housing, the journey to getting her doctorate in higher education was a combination of all three.

Gates gave birth to her daughter, Lily, and moved houses all while working and going to classes. That wouldn't have been possible without a support system, she said.

"I wanted to prove to my students that it was possible," Gates said, holding Lily on her hip. "But after my first semester, I knew it was going to be a team job.

"I really couldn't have done this without my family, my staff and the women in my cohort."

Ultimately, the Red and Blue Celebration is a chance to sing the praises of the people who keep the university afloat, especially those who often go unnoticed, Wilkin said.

"I believe education is a social endeavor and a caring profession," he said. "We often talk about how Ole Miss is a caring place, and I recognize that a large portion of that caring actually comes from our staff.

"You are the hidden heroes of the academy."

The Red and Blue Celebration is a part of the 2024 Commencement schedule of events. For more information about commencement, visit https://commencement.olemiss.edu/.