More than 500 seniors from Shaw University graduated Saturday May 7, even though some were not able to finish the school year due to the April 16 tornado. The graduation ceremony was held Saturday at the J.S. Dorton Arena in Raleigh. On Thursday, Shaw University President Irma McClaurin said all candidates for graduation, including those who still have academic and financial obligations to the school, would walk Saturday.
"In the face of our recovery from disaster, I believe now is the time for us as an institution to act compassionately and with a generosity of spirit," said McClaurin in a written release Thursday. The students with certain obligations will not get their diplomas until those requirements have been met. On April 16, a tornado struck Shaw University, forcing the school to suspend classes for the rest of the semester.