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An Evening With Oprah - Sydney

Source: Mark Metcalfe / Getty

Johnson C. Smith University had a most memorable commencement this past Sunday with media luminary Oprah Winfrey delivering the commencement address.  Winfrey was in the Queen City to deliver on a promise that she made to two of her “daughter-girls” who attended the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. She promised the girls and late South African leader Nelson Mandela, that she would see the two girls, now graduates of JCSU, get their diplomas.

The girls, Mpumi Nobiva and Thando Dlomo were both part of the inaugural class of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.  Nobiva said graduation is a proud day for her because of all of the challenges she has faced, including being an AIDS orphan. 

In her speech, Winfrey offered words of encouragement for all of the graduates, noting that though they have bright futures, “You make mistakes because failure is God’s way of moving you in another direction.  It’s saying (you are) going down the wrong lane.”

Winfrey had to leave Charlotte immediately following the ceremony to get to Atlanta to see another leadership academy student graduate from Spelman College.

Oprah Addresses JCSU Grads  was originally published on praisecharlotte.com