|
Date
Contact:
Tom Davis
Troy Office of University Relations
334/670-3196
tomdavis@troy.edu
Office of University Relations
253 Adams Administration
Troy, AL 36082
(334) 670-3196
(334) 670-3274 (fax)
| Students
receive diplomas at TSU Friday |
| Troy
State University conferred degrees on more than 200 students
Friday at summer commencement exercises at Sartain Hall, including
the largest group of students to receive the executive master
of business administration degree, taught primarily over the
Internet. Approximate 55 students from 22 U.S. states received the EMBA diploma, including students enrolled in an EMBA program sponsored by the HealthSouth Corp. "Seven years ago, HealthSouth founder and CEO Richard Scrushy asked for an Internet-based graduate program tailored specifically for Healthsouth executives," Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr. said. "Mr. Scrushy said he wanted a quality program by which to grow the next generation of leaders for HealthSouth And he wanted them to access the program from their homes and offices, regardless of location." HealthSouth President and Chief Operating Officer, Bill Owens, a 1981 graduate of TSU and a member of the university’s board of trustees, was the commencement speaker. Owens, one of six siblings to earn a TSU degree, reminded graduates that every choice they make write another chapter in their life stories. "Write your life stories in such a way that you would be proud to have it told to you," Owens said. He told graduates to "pick a them" for their lives and listen to the life stories of others. The students should also be proud of their alma mater, he added. "Tell your story proudly and live your life so that you can tell it proudly," he said. "Tell your story about Troy State. I travel around the country and I compete with graduates of some of the finest institutions in the world. Troy State University is just as good." Owens said his two keys for success are to "believe in yourself" and "work harder than the person next to you." Owens joined HealthSouth Corp. as controller in 1986, later working as executive senior vice president and chief financial officer before being named president and chief operating officer in 2001. A 1997 recipient of the TSU Distinguished Alumni of the Year award, Owens serves on the Business Advisory Council of the university’s Sorrell College of Business. |