'A beginning, not a finish line': Tavorise Marks, C’18, urges the class of 2026 to lead, learn, and lift others

The University of Richmond School of Professional and Continuing Studies (SPCS) celebrated the class of 2026 with a call to purposeful leadership from Tavorise M. Marks, C’18, the Gibb Family Distinguished Alumni Award winner for 2026 and outgoing president of the SPCS Alumni Association Board of Directors. Nominated by fellow board members for the School’s highest alumni honor, Marks addressed degree and certificate candidates at Commencement on May 9, 2026, centering his remarks on three commitments: Lead with lived experience, keep learning with courage, and give back to lift others.

“Today is more than a ceremony — it is a declaration,” Marks told graduates. “A declaration that learning has no age limit, that purpose has no expiration date, and that the courage to begin again is one of the greatest forms of leadership.”

He acknowledged the distinctive paths of SPCS students, many of whom balanced families, careers, and community service while completing their studies. “You didn’t just catch up,” he said. “You rose. You stretched. You transformed.”

Marks’s message drew power from his own SPCS story. A 2018 graduate of the School’s post-bachelor’s certificate in paralegal studies, he has remained deeply engaged with SPCS since joining the Alumni Association Board in 2020. During his tenure, he helped streamline governance processes, update bylaws, and strengthen student and alumni engagement — work that reflects his belief in accessible, mission-driven leadership.

Professionally, Marks is the owner of Tavorise K. Marks State Farm in Hopewell, Virginia, where he and his team provide insurance and financial services across the Commonwealth. He is also founder and principal of Commonwealth Equal Consulting, a firm focused on human capital management, diversity and inclusion, and conflict resolution. His educational background includes bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Norfolk State University and additional training through the U.S. Army, Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute, and Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy at Liberty University.

In his address, Marks urged graduates to “lead with the wisdom of your lived experience,” noting that credibility grows from empathy and humility as much as from expertise. He encouraged lifelong learning in a rapidly changing world: “Let this degree be a beginning, not a finish line. Leaders don’t arrive; they evolve.” And he called on new alumni to invest in the Spider community by mentoring, volunteering, and sharing their stories: “You are now part of the Spider network — a community that thrives when its members reach back and pull others forward.”

Marks concluded with this claim: “Class of 2026, you are proof that persistence is powerful. Walk boldly. Lead bravely.” His charge reflected what SPCS cultivates: Practical skills, resilient character, and an enduring commitment to serve — in school, at work, and across the communities graduates call home.