Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College will hold its spring 2025 graduation ceremony at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center on the campus of South Carolina State University.
This year’s speaker is Dr. Melissa Knight, interim associate dean of nursing at Claflin University. She leads the university’s fully online RN to BSN, MSN in Nursing Leadership and MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner programs.
Knight is a National League for Nursing Certified Nurse Educator committed to student success, well-being and retention. She has more than 21 years of clinical nursing experience and 13 years in nursing education, entrepreneurship and leadership.
An advocate for mental wellness, Knight integrates her background in nursing, behavioral neuroscience and human psychology to help students and faculty build resilience through healthy and mindful living and self-care. She is the founder and CEO of an integrative wellness practice supporting individuals through mindfulness and stress coaching, yoga and meditation.
Knight’s research interests include the impact of chronic stress on cardiovascular and cognitive health, faculty and student mental well-being, and using AI to support student retention.
Registration is underway for summer and fall terms at OCtech. Summer classes begin Monday, May 19. For more information and to apply, visit octech.edu or call 803.535.1234.
