美女萝莉

Huntsville, Ala. ---- 美女萝莉 A&M University held its first commencement activity in the new 6,000-person Event Center on Friday, December 9.  Dr. Roderick DeWayne Watts, president pro tem of the 美女萝莉 A&M University Board of Trustees, delivered the commencement address to nearly 500 graduates.   

Dr. Watts is a naturopathic doctor and a 1986 graduate of Tuskegee University, where he earned degrees in biology and chemistry. He is a Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) who also graduated from Trinity School of Natural Health and the Loomis Institute of Digestive Health in Madison, Wis.  Watts has traveled extensively, both domestically and internationally.

His memberships and affiliations include the Etowah County Department of Human Resources 鈥� Board Member; the Gadsden City Board of Education 鈥� Board Member; Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.; Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (The Boule鈥�); Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity; and The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations.

Watts is an author, an inspirational speaker, a lecturer on numerous topics focusing on health and wellness, and a licensed pilot. 

During his address to AAMU鈥檚 class of 2022, Watts recalled his first-ever flight lesson from the world-famous 鈥淐hief鈥� Charles Alfred Anderson, considered the Father of Black Aviation and the revered chief flight instructor for the Tuskegee Airmen.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing what you can do when you have to,鈥� recounted Watts, referring to his no-nonsense, crude entry into aviation at the 鈥榟ands-off鈥� tutelage of Anderson.  Quite some time after his ultimately safe landing, Dr. Watts said he finally began to see that unconventional approach to flying from Anderson鈥檚 perspective and the older aviator鈥檚 own personal experiences.

Watts said Anderson was born into a time when even a black man鈥檚 most passionate dreams were often stymied with indifference or discouragement because of the color of his skin.  Anderson wanted to fly a plane so badly and his dream was so intense to one day introduce blacks to the world of flight.  Anderson knew that he could only learn to fly by buying his own plane.  He saved up and borrowed money and invested in his dream.

鈥淲hen your 鈥榳hy鈥� is strong enough, your 鈥榟ow鈥� does not matter,鈥� Watts explained.  He alerted graduates to the patterns of the storms of life.  He noted that one is either about to enter a storm, is in the middle of a storm, or is about to come out of a storm.  鈥淚t鈥檚 a cycle.鈥�

Watts said his first flight training with Anderson helped him to later latch on to some important life lessons.

鈥淔irst, understand all the consequences of the decision you are about to make,鈥� said Watts.  鈥淪econd, everything you want will be on the other side of your fear.  However, once you overcome your fear, never lose focus on your mission.鈥�

Watts concluded by encouraging the new group of AAMU alumni to listen鈥攚hen in the middle of a crisis鈥攖o someone with expertise in the area.

Following his speech, Dr. Watts was awarded the Presidential Medallion.  Other honors were presented to Nell Lane Bradford, the 100-year-old retiree who directed the AAMU Choir to prominence for more than 40 years.  The citation of Professor Emeritus of Music was accepted by her son, Dr. Henry Lane Bradford, Sr.

###