Dr. Delores Dacosta Will Be Commencement Speaker At Limestone University Graduation On May 1

As the spring semester draws to close, Limestone University will soon hold its third straight commencement ceremony at Gaffney High School’s stadium on Saturday, May 1, at 10 a.m.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing protocols, Limestone held its first graduation ceremony at Gaffney High in May of 2020. That was followed by another outdoor commencement at the stadium this past December.

President Dr. Darrell Parker will confer 248 degrees on May 1 from its on-campus, online, and graduate programs.

Limestone typically holds two back-to-back ceremonies on campus inside Fullerton Auditorium for its two graduations each year, but due to the larger seating capacity available, there will again be one combined ceremony at the high school stadium.

Social distancing guidelines will be followed at the upcoming ceremony. Graduates will be seated on the field and spectators will use the home side of the stadium.

The ceremony will also be live-streamed on Limestone’s YouTube channel so family and friends unable to be in attendance can view online. Visit www.limestone.edu on May 1 to easily access the YouTube link.

For the direct link to the live-stream, click HERE.

Graduates and their families and friends are being encouraged to travel to Limestone following the ceremony to walk the front campus and take photos.

The commencement speaker will be Dr. Delores Dacosta, the Executive Director of the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs.

Dacosta is a native of Awendaw, located in Charleston County. She has more than 35 years in public service, including 20 years of experience in federal policies and regulations. She was Chief of Staff to former United States Congressman Henry Brown, Jr., and was the Regional Director to U.S. Senator Tim Scott.

She has a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from the School of Business and Leadership at Regent University where she mastered core competencies in strategic management and leadership. Dacosta has expertise in policy development, strategic planning, performance management, organizational structure and design, human capital management, and Cultural Competency training. She also holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.

Dacosta has served on several committees, including the AccelerateSC’s COVID-19 Prevention Taskforce, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Vaccine Distribution Taskforce, and the SC CARES Act Small & Minority Business Grant Distribution panel.

She received the Women in Philanthropy and Leadership award from Coastal Carolina University in 2016, and the Small Business Advocacy Award from the Minority Business Development Agency in 2017.