She likes hanging out with her friends, watching TV or simply going to the malls to shop for shoes. She probably could be considered a typical teenager. Until you peruse her credentials, that is.

Reaiah Brown "walked" yesterday during Claflin University's commencement exercises, graduating Magna Cum Laude, a title noteworthy all the more considering Brown's age -- she turned 19 on Friday.

"I don't see anything so special about it, until I speak to other people," Brown said. "Then it sinks in."

During the ceremony, Claflin President Dr. Henry Tisdale said the 2002 graduate of West Columbia's Airport High School is "probably one of the youngest graduates in South Carolina this year."

At Airport, Brown was in the top 20 students taking Spanish and music lessons. She's also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Despite scoring 1,500 on her SAT, it was snafus with her age that prevented the teen who skipped three grades from being considered for Airport's valedictorian award.

At that time, she was just 15.

Accepted at Harvard, Duke, Yale and other prestigious schools, Brown cited Claflin's proximity to her family in Columbia as being a consideration for Orangeburg, not to mention the family atmosphere she found here.

"They are just so loving and wonderful," Brown said of her teachers and faculty. "And they said, 'We'll take you in, we'll take care of you.'"

And take care of them they did. Dr. Verlie Tisdale, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, recalls half-jokingly advising the entire incoming freshman class that Brown "cannot be anybody's girlfriend."

"She came to college doing exactly what a student is supposed to do," Tisdale said, smiling at the recollection. "Everything worked out, though."

Having majored in Management Information Science, Brown finished her undergraduate work with a 3.58 grade-point average.

It was only in her senior year that she considered a relationship. The young man she is seeing now is her first boyfriend.

Although she's been accepted at Liberty University's school of law, Brown said she's taking a position later this summer in Spartanburg.

"As of right now, I'm taking the career opportunity at Milliken," she said. "It's a good offer, I figured I'd go make some money."

Milliken has been ranked by Fortune as number 38 of the Top 100 firms. However, law school isn't out of the picture, Brown said.

"I'm thinking about a judgeship," she said.

"We're just proud of her," said Johnny Brown, Reaiah's dad. "We support her 100 percent."

Claflin's top graduate for 2006 was Arlette D. Benoit, of Trinidad. Attaining a degree in marketing, Benoit had the highest GPA.

Nineteen-year-old Rahul Sharma, of India, also graduated yesterday, completing his biochemistry degree in three years.

Just in time for Mother's Day, the mother and son duo of Barbara Simmons and Joseph Malik Parler, from Dorchester, received their degrees in Mass Communication and Organizational Management, respectively.

Also keeping it all in the family, Zimbabwe cousins Farai Chitiga and Yevedzo Chitiga, both received Business Administration degrees. From Switzerland, cousins Nyasha and Mercy Chikowore graduated together.

In what has been described by school officials as a "unique" program, 10 area law enforcement agents received the Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. 

Among the more than 300 graduates for 2006, Orangeburg County Sheriff Larry Williams, sheriff's office officers Rene Williams, Leroy Ravenell, Jennifer McCree, Sandra Jordan, Anthony Tyrone Thompson and James Shumpert received Bachelor's of Arts degrees in Sociology/Criminal Justice.

Also, Bobby Rivers and Shawna Williams, of the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, and Delores Felder of the Denmark Public Safety Department received their Bachelor's of Arts degrees in Sociology/Criminal Justice.

In an interview before Saturday's ceremony, Williams offered special thanks to a school willing to work after hours pushing the participants in the program to better themselves.

"It's not about who you are," he said of his position and Claflin's criminal justice program. "It's about who we want to make you."

In his commencement address, Gov. Mark Sanford related to the audience of about 3,000 several parables involving his four small boys.

An argument between two of the pre-teen boys over a bowl of cereal prompted Sanford to remind the children of the question, "What would Jesus do?" Sanford said Jesus would give the bowl of cereal to his brother.

But Bolton Sanford replied to his brother, "OK, Blake, you be Jesus."

In another instance, Gov. Sanford said, the boys found fun in placing their sand buckets over their heads before ramming into a wall.

"My message to you is not to go through life wearing a bucket," he said.

Sanford admonished the graduates to be leaders, to "follow your dream." Follow the military motto of "Be all you can be" rather than "whatever," he said.

"Each one of us looks forward to watching you be successful," Sanford said. "God speed on your journey."

T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5516.

You must be logged in to comment.