By Hazel Scott/ASU
Alumna Hope Michelle Ayers (1993) will serve as speaker for Alabama State University’s 2024 Fall Commencement.
The 310th Commencement Convocation is Friday, December 6, at the ASU Stadium, now the official venue for all commencements. The ceremony will be moved to the Dunn-Oliver Acadome in case of inclement weather.
Ayers, a native of Decatur, Alabama, currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, where she works as the General Counsel for Black Voters Matter Fund (BVM).
Ayers received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Alabama State University and Juris Doctorate from the University of Alabama. She is the CEO of Hope & Air, Inc., a lifelong supporter of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., ASU National Alumni Association and the Alabama State Bar Association.
Prior to joining the executive office at Black Voters Matter, Ayers was an attorney and advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/FEMA in Washington, D.C., where she served in several executive-level positions for more than 17 years. For her exceptional legal performance, she was honored with the U.S. DHS General Counsel's Excellence Award and, also, received the FEMA Office of Chief Counsel Award for Teamwork and Collaboration. In 2013, she was the recipient of a recommendation for Federal Judicial Appointment for U.S. Middle District for Alabama.
As part of a legal team of Chestnut, Sanders, Sanders, Pettaway & Campbell, P.C. in Selma, Alabama, she helped represent Black farmers in the national class action, Pigford v. Glickman. She became an Associate Attorney at The Anderson Law Firm in Montgomery, Alabama, in 2002 and in 2005 was appointed to serve as Deputy Attorney General for the state of Alabama Secretary of State’s Office in Montgomery.
Along with her first novel, “Gabriel’s Balloon,” she has authored two collections of poetry, “Love Defined” and “Acquaintances,” along with a series of children’s books titled “The Chelsea Tales.”
“I credit Alabama State University for my passion for literature and my creative writing competence. The late, extraordinary Dr. Ralph J. Bryson was the first person to identify me as a ‘writer.’ I’m ever thankful for his leadership and love and, to date, rely on his instruction whenever I’m creating another written work. I honor and appreciate him and all the faculty, administrators and support staff at my alma mater, where I received an exceptional education and was nurtured with dedicated discipline, guidance and love. It is always A GREAT TIME TO BE A HORNET,” Ayers added.
In addition to her creative endeavors, she enjoys traveling with her daughter, Chelsea, mentoring young adults aspiring to become lawyers, authors and social justice advocates and supporting other aspiring writers and artists.
DETAILS ON ASU'S FALL COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES
The University's December 6 Commencement ceremonies will be held in two sessions—the first
at 8:45 a.m. and the second at 1:45 p.m.
The ceremonies will be held for students according to the college in which the students will obtain their respective degrees.
8:45 a.m. Ceremony
- The Harold Lloyd Murphy Graduate School
- College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
- College of Education
- College of Visual and Performing Arts
- University College
1:45 p.m. Ceremony
- The Harold Lloyd Murphy Graduate School
- College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
- Percy J. Vaughn, Jr. College of Business Administration
- College of Health Sciences
For more information, please email questions to academicaffairs@alasu.edu.