Edward Waters University awarded master’s degrees last weekend for the first time in its 157-year history.

Florida’s oldest Historically Black College celebrated its largest graduating class with 110 people earning undergraduate degrees and 23 earning their MBAs.

The undergraduates wore traditional black robes, while the inaugural master’s candidates wore purple — the university’s primary color.

Jamal Bouie was the first person whose named was called. The Orlando native has lived in Jacksonville for eight years.

He earned his master’s while working as a physical education teacher at North Shore Elementary and pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors.

Article continues below

More from Jax Today

PHOTO ESSAY | What happens after Jacksonville flushes

Nights of Lights will shine this weekend in St. Augustine

UF Health begins expansion of trauma center

Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.

Bouie didn’t march when he earned his undergraduate degree from Edward Waters in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Saturday, he marched in honor of his mother, who was sick with cancer three years ago but has since recovered.

“It shows how far we have come since I got here in 2015,” Bouie said. “Now, as a master’s graduate, I have seen the school develop in a lot of ways under President (A. Zachary) Faison. It shows Edward Waters has a lot to offer.”

Michael Lomax, CEO of the United Negro College Fund, was the commencement speaker. He says he came to Jacksonville to learn more about Edward Waters’ rapid growth under Faison.

At the start of the 2022-23 academic year, Edward Waters reported its highest enrollment since 2004. It reported that it grew 26.6% over the last three academic years to 1,181 students.

In his remarks, Lomax told the graduates their presence and perspective is needed in hospitals, courtrooms, schoos, and he encouraged them to share their intellect and lived experiences while creating technologies.

“These are tough, resilient, persistent, determined and ambitious graduates, and they are going to sharp-elbow their way into equality,” Lomax said. “And, they’ve learned that at Edward Waters, as they would learn at any HBCU, nothing is given. Everything is earned. And, as the motto of one of our other institutions is, you got to make a way out of no way.”

The motto at Atlanta University, before it merged with Clark College to form Clark Atlanta University, was “I’ll Find a Way or Make One.”

Clark Atlanta, like Edward Waters, is among the 37 private HBCUs that partner with the United Negro College Fund.

The nonprofit has raised more than $3 billion dollars under Lomax’s 19-year tenure; it awarded more than $100 million dollars in scholarships in 2022.