Former Atlanta Mayor serve as Savannah State commencement speaker

With pomp and circumstance. Savannah State University celebrated hundreds of new graduates at its 200th commencement ceremony. I’m feeling excited. We have been through *** lot this past two years with covid. So to just be able to get here and have graduation in person, it means everything. It’s *** really big one. I’ve been waiting for it for four years even more really and I worked so hard to get to this point. So I’m just happy to be here. Proud supporters cheered from the stands and graduation caps of all colors and designs filled the stadium field. But *** closer look reveals one chair left empty with *** graduation gown for Savannah State Tiger. That did not make it to graduation day. He always said, you know, I lived *** good life, but if I had to do something that I wanted, it was this degree And you could really see how badly he wanted it, Charles. Woodley died April 23 at the age of 90. His wife received his posthumous undergrad degree Friday morning. She was accompanied by joe sena Davis Fernandez, who tutored Woodley for years, starting in his late eighties. Every time he was showing something on the computer, his eyes would light up like *** child when you know, when you go to Disney or something, You know, he’d be like, wow, you know, you’re, you’re so amazing and all I did was like open *** google page or something, but he would make it seem like, you know like I correct into the FBI or something, just like these grads. David Fernandez says Woodley earned every passing grade that he received. She says Woodley learned that he qualified for graduation one week before he died. I would say I’m at peace that at least he left knowing, you know, like I did it, you know, like the last thing I wanted to do in my life and I got to do it In Shannon Mr. Woodley lived *** busy life serving his family, serving his country as well. That’s often why he had to put his education on the back burner. His tutors say he was *** walking history book off, often offering some personal stories of the major events that he witnessed over his 90 years of life. Marvelous, so sad to see that empty chair sitting there, but also so happy to see that his wife was able to pick up his diploma for him. *** job. Well done. Thanks so much Marvis