Students at graduation ceremonies often don’t remember their keynote speaker. That shouldn’t be the case when Cameran Drew looks back on his graduation from Virginia Peninsula Community College in 2026. That’s because he was the speaker at the College’s 57th commencement.
Drew, who received an Associate of Science degree in Business Administration, became the youngest elected official in Surry County and Virginia when he won a seat on the county board at age 19 last year. He also is a business owner, philanthropist and community advocate. He certainly was worthy of the honor.
“Cameran did not just stumble into history,” VPCC President Dr. Towuanna Porter Brannon said in introducing him. “He walked toward it, knocking on doors, showing up at community events, listening to residents, and building a campaign around opportunity for young people, stronger communities, and a better future for Surry County.”
Noting his community involvement, she added, “His journey reflects the very spirit of commencement: not the end of a road, but the beginning of a larger calling.”
Just as he didn’t let his age hold him back as a politician, he didn’t let it stand in the way of providing insight and offering wisdom to his fellow graduates. He did admit, though, to having second thoughts after accepting Dr. Brannon’s invitation to speak once he realized the impact a commencement address can have. But he remembered advice a mentor gave him as he was campaigning last fall: “Cam, just be yourself.”
“Sometimes in the world, the most powerful thing a person can do is be simply authentic,” Drew said.
That’s what he was while addressing more than 450 students who earned associate degrees, workforce credentials or career studies certificates, and hundreds of VPCC faculty, staff, family, friends and supporters in attendance at the Hampton Coliseum. He asked each of them to approach life with a three-word mantra: “How will I …?”
First, he asked how they face adversity.
“Adversity does not build character alone. It reveals who we truly are during uncomfortable times,” he said. “The ultimate test is how we will face that adversity when it comes our way.”
He said there will be people who doubt you because they can’t see your vision.
“Do not allow someone else’s limitations to become the ceiling on your own potential,” he said.
His second question was, “How will I treat that neighbor or stranger?”
“Treating others with gentleness and warmth is not an arduous task,” he said. “Your compliment, loving spirit, or a simple smile could change someone’s life more than you may ever know.”
His final ask was, “How will I use my education as a catalyst for change?”
Realizing education is the foundation of change and the world will always need critical thinkers who are also compassionate, Drew said the degrees received during commencement are steppingstones to a better life and tools to help others.
“Will you sit on the sidelines with your newly printed, fresh-faced degree or will you use it to enhance the lives of others … and to educate the next generation of young leaders and scholars?” he asked. “Your education is yours once earned, something that can never be taken away from you. But it is our duty to pay it forward, to be the catalyst for change for those who are not even born yet.”
His advice didn’t stop there. He had a suggestion on how to answer those questions.
“Your answer should only begin with two acceptable words, ‘I will,’ because history has never been changed by people who doubted themselves into silence,” he said.
In closing, he urged everyone to tackle adversity head on, treat others with love, respect and dignity, to use education to spark change.
“And to never, and I mean never, discount or discourage that young underdog striving to be that change in the world,” he said.
An ending and a beginning
Dr. Brannon’s address to the graduates centered on perseverance and gratitude. She noted it wasn’t a straight line from application to completion.
“You worked full-time jobs, you worked part-time jobs. … You took care of parents, grandparents. You served in the military or supported someone who did,” she said.
The challenges were many: financial, transportation, health, self-doubt, loss, fatigue and many more.
“Some of you took classes late at night. Some of you studied in parking lots … in break rooms, kitchens, and hospital waiting rooms,” she said. “Some of you almost stopped. Some of you had every reason to stop.
“But you did not. You kept on going.”
That was key. It also explains, she said, why it is called “commencement” and not just “graduation,” the latter of which just means one has completed the requirements.
“Commencement means beginning. It means the start of something new. Because you didn’t give up. Because you kept on going. Because you persisted … you are here today and we’re here to celebrate the start of your something new,” she said.
She also reminded everyone it was a team effort for the graduates to reach this moment.
“Graduates, while today is technically your day, I’d also like to recognize some of the people along your journey because we know getting across the stage is not done alone,” she said.
She then mentioned the VPCC faculty and staff, the high school administrators and dual enrollment coordinators; scholarship providers, donors, and the employers who fund tuition payments, training, and workforce pathways; and community service and nonprofit partners who make food, housing support, transportation, childcare, counseling, and emergency assistance easily accessible when students need it most.
She thanked active military and veteran graduates.
“We are grateful for your service to this country, and we are proud to recognize your accomplishments both in uniform and in the classroom. Thank you for your exemplary dedication and thank you for your sacrifice to this nation,” she said.
Finally, she recognized the nearly 70 Phoebus High School dual-enrollment students who received an associate degree or career studies certificate from VPCC, just a few weeks before their high school graduation.
“You all have taken on the rigor of higher education while also meeting the demanding expectations of high school, family, work, athletics, community service, and everything else that comes with being a young person preparing for their future,” she said. “We are very proud of you.”
Community Awards
The College presented its Dana B. Hamel Award to two recipients. The award honors individuals or organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to public service, expand access to higher education, and advance the understanding of workforce development as an essential part of Virginia Peninsula Community College’s mission. Hamel served as the first chancellor of the Virginia Community College System.
This year’s honorees were Sean Avery and Joseph Fuentes.
Avery, whose daughter was among the VPCC graduates, is the president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council. He, too, is an alumnus of the College. He earned his bachelor’s from Christopher Newport University and master’s from Florida Institute of Technology. He’s also active in the community, serving on the boards of numerous businesses and organizations.
Fuentes’ award was accepted posthumously by his wife, Leslie Fuentes. He earned an Associate of Science degree at VPCC before going on to Old Dominion University, where he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He was a longtime engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding and the U.S. Navy. He served on the Williamsburg-James City County School Board for more than a decade and as a board member and vice chair of the VPCC College Board. He passed away in May 2025.
Nurse Pinning
Two days before the campus-wide commencement, 15 nursing students participated in a pinning ceremony at the Dr. Mary T. Christian Theatre. The cohort began their VPCC journey in fall 2024.
It also touched on the theme of continuation, and featured tears of joy, pride, perseverance and accomplishment.
Rebecca Jaderquist, the interim director of VPCC’s nursing program, echoed the sentiment it was more than the completion of the program. It was the beginning of a calling.
“We get to recognizing individuals who have shown resilience, compassion and an unwavering commitment to caring for others,” she said. “They have learned not just the science but the humanity of nursing.”
Dimaris Small, one of the graduating students, addressed her classmates as well as the more than 100 VPCC faculty and staff, family members and friends in attendance.
“I want to welcome you to the end of one era and the beginning of another,” she said, also thanking the instructors “for believing in us even when we didn’t believe in ourselves.”
She, too, pointed out it was more than a ceremony.
“It’s proof of everything we’ve overcome,” she said. “I couldn’t have asked for a stronger group to stand beside. I’m so proud of all of us. … Now we step into our next chapter, not as graduates, but as nurses.
