'92 alumnus, Stephen A., is commencement speaker for 2011 spring graduates

Approximately 1,000 "future alumni" of Winston-Salem State University are expected to participate in the 2011 spring commencement on May 14 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Commencement begins at 9:45 a.m.

Stephen A. Smith, this year's commencement speaker, is a sports journalist, television and radio host, commentator, actor and a 1992 graduate from WSSU.   Smith majored in Mass Communications and is a former reporter with the University's newspaper, The News Argus.

Stephen A. began his career as a journalist at the New York Daily News in 1993.  A year later, he joined the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper where he became a general sports columnist, one of only 21 African Americans in the nation to hold such a title at the time. 

He gained prominence as a Fox Sports and ESPN NBA insider, hosting ESPN2's Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith  from 2005-2007. Following a brief hiatus from ESPN, Stephen A., rejoined to host radio shows ESPN 1050 in New York and ESPN 710 in Los Angeles.

The WSSU alumnus  is also a columnist on ESPN.com and a contributor to ESPNNY.com and ESPNLA.com.   

A prolific multimedia icon, Stephen A.  made his acting debut in a cameo appearance as a television reporter on an episode of ABC's daytime dramaGeneral Hospital in 2007.  That same year, he appeared in the comedy  "I Think I Love My Wife,"  produced by comedian Chris Rock.