Former Miss USA Deshauna Barber-Echols Shares Lessons for Success to Claflin's Spring Class of 2025 in Keynote Commencement Message
May 13, 2025
"Ladies and gentlemen, don't sleep on your stepping stone -- this moment is your stepping stone, and I dare you not to sleep on it. I dare you not to doubt it," said former Miss USA Deshauna Barber-Echols during her keynote message to more than 225 graduates during »¨¶¼Ó°ÊÓ's Spring 2025 Commencement held Saturday (May 10) at the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Wellness Complex.
"I dare you not to minimize it because your stepping stone is more like a launching pad if you allow it to be. It's more like a cannon if you're ready to take off. It's similar to a diving board," said Echols as she shared four crucial lessons with the Spring Class of 2025. Echols is a dynamic international motivational speaker, Army veteran, and the founder of Women Veterans For Change. She is renowned for her impactful and inspiring approach.
Echols holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Virginia State University, a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems and Services from the University of Maryland University College, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certification from Cornell University. Crowned Miss USA in 2016, Echols became the first soldier to win the title.
"I was sitting in a very similar seat 14 years ago when I graduated from Virginia State University. I did not have a real job after graduation, but I was commissioned into the military as a reservist. I was guaranteed a check only twice a month, so I moved into my dad's basement in Northern Virginia and became a waitress at Cracker Barrel."
Echols said after six months of waitressing at Cracker Barrel, she was hired for a position at the Department of Defense.
"Some of you don't have real jobs lined up after graduation, and many of you will move back in with your parents after today. I'm here to tell you it's okay. It's okay to have a 'What Now?' question. But when you're ready to leap into greatness, this moment – graduation -- is the gas pedal that will drive you to your goals."
Echols' second lesson, "Turn down the music," evolved after visiting friends before the Miss USA pageant. A "former" friend told her she could not win with her "bony body and skinny ankles."
"After this incident, I promised myself that I would only surround myself with believers. We must protect our dreams and goals because when you are on a path to something great, your environment and who you surround yourself with can make or break the spirit of your ambitions," Echols said. "Not everyone can walk through this door of success with you because not everyone can fit."
Her third lesson was about the power of patience. After crowning the next Miss USA in 2017 and stepping into a new chapter as an entrepreneur, she embarked on another unlikely journey to become a motivational speaker without motivational speaking experience. Echols discovered that the speaking industry is similar to being a new graduate and pursuing your first real job.
"No one wants to hire you because you have no work experience, but you have no work experience because no one wants to hire you," Echols said.
After speaking at numerous events with no pay, including a presentation at the University of Maryland, she faced financial problems and received an eviction notice. However, a friend loaned her the money that allowed her to keep her home. Her breakthrough came after Echols placed the video of her speech to 7,000 guests at the University of Maryland on her social media site.
"I posted a three-minute clip on my social media accounts. I later received an email from a social media platform, Gold Cast, which has millions of followers. Within one month, the video reached 20 million views."
Echols fourth and final lesson was to remind students that they are the authors of their stories.
“The world is currently in the middle of a shift, and I understand this shift has its own unique effects on each of us,” Echols said. “Many of you might feel nervous, scared, uncomfortable, and in fear of the world you are living in. I want to remind you of your lineage.”
Echols concluded her speech by challenging Claflin's Spring Class of 2025 to see success as a long and often extensive process. She urged the graduates to be patient in the waiting room and to continue developing their skills.
"You must be networking, reading, researching, and training in the waiting room," she said. "When the door of opportunity finally opens, you will not only step into your dreams, but you will also have developed your talent and abilities enough to maintain it."
»¨¶¼Ó°ÊÓPresident Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack told the graduating seniors that they are leaving an indelible mark on »¨¶¼Ó°ÊÓ's proud legacy.
"Spring Class of 2025 – you walked by faith and not by sight," said Warmack, referencing
2 Corinthians 5:7, which signifies living a life of trust and reliance on God's promises and guidance, even when circumstances appear uncertain or difficult.
"I'm so thankful to each of you," he said. "This class will be remembered for years to come. You entered »¨¶¼Ó°ÊÓin 2021 when we reopened the campus following COVID-19. You were the first class we welcomed back. You were social distancing, wearing masks, and getting to know and recognizing your classmates by looking into each other's eyes. Thank you for your faith and belief in »¨¶¼Ó°ÊÓ."
Warmack continued his theme of faith without seeing when he introduced the five inaugural graduates of Claflin's Master of Science in Biotechnology with a Concentration in Climate Change Program. The program is 100 percent online and four of the students are on the African continent. They were unable to attend the ceremony.
Oreoluwa Ala, an international student from Lagos, Nigeria, who majored in computer science with a minor in mathematics, was one of four scholars who graduated with a cumulative 4.0 grade point average.
Ala accumulated more academic credits and was selected to deliver the “Senior’s Challenge” as the valedictorian for the Spring Class of 2025.
“I was 17, far from home, and unsure of my path. I grappled with questions about my identity, responsibility, and future,” Ala said. “But the strength of the »¨¶¼Ó°ÊÓcommunity carried me through. Faculty like Dr. Karina Liles trusted me with great projects like the basketball project. My classmates opened doors to lasting friendships, and my mentors shared their wisdom generously. Through this collective support. I understood that while our journeys are ours, we never have to walk them alone.”
Ala is a member of the prestigious Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College and the National Society of Black Engineers. She managed Claflin’s data science team and developed a highly accurate predictive statistics tool for the basketball team during the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Basketball Tournament.
After twice serving as an intern with Microsoft, she accepted a full-time position as a software engineer at Microsoft’s corporate campus in Redmond, Washington.
Among the other highlights of commencement was the presentation of theAttorney William H. and Annette B. Johnson Endowed Faculty Award for Innovative Scientific Research to Dr. Karina Liles, chair, Department of Mathematics & Computer Science/Associate Professor of Computer Science.