Missy Elliott recently gifted Norfolk State University, close to her hometown, a check for $20,000 after she delivered their Fall 2022 commencement speech. On Saturday, December 10th, she encouraged the class of nearly 400 students to continue chasing their goals. Elliott is from the Norfolk, Virginia suburb of Portsmouth, and stated that, “I am proud of y’all and y’all should be proud of y’all self, I want you to look at each other and say, ‘You already won.’ Let ’em know! Ain’t no winning, you already the one. ‘Cause y’all coulda been doing anything else the last few years, y’all coulda been wildin’ out. But y’all decided to finish the course. And that’s major.”
The Grammy Award winner was also presented with the university’s “most prestigious award,” the Presidential Commencement Medallion as well as receiving an honorary doctorate in humane letters. During the ceremony, Norfolk State President Javaune Adams-Gaston explained that the degree was given in recognition of Missy Elliott’s “outstanding professional achievements and extraordinary contributions to public service.”
Prior to the end of the afternoon, Elliott presented her donation to NSU with a request that the funds go “to the area of greatest need,” a spokesperson for the school said. Back in August, she was honored with a street named after her in Portsmouth.
Back in October, she shared an Instagram post that featured a picture of her smiling while holding the Missy Elliott BLVD street sign, along with a post that read, “ATTENTION MISSY ELLIOTT BLVD is on the Google Map #VA baybeeeeee#757 P-TOWN WAIT a WHOLE BLVD! God is good, I am not perfect & I’ve had ups & downs when some doubted me & thought I would give up I PRAYED & got back up every time Hopefully this will INSPIRE some1 else to KEEP PUSHING!”
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