COM Grad Gives Student Commencement Address

Want to renew your sense of hope and your Pack pride? Listen to entrepreneur and Communication major Jessica Ekstrom give NC State’s student commencement speech.

Ekstrom gave the student address to more than 5,200 graduates at NC State University’s commencement exercises on May 11, 2013. She auditioned for the honor in front of the Commencement Advisory Committee in March.

An outstanding student and successful entrepreneur, Ekstrom  founded Headbands of Hope while she was a student. The nonprofit helps fund cancer research and spreads hope to pediatric cancer patients. For every headband purchased, one is given to a girl with cancer and $1 is donated to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fund life-saving childhood cancer research.

Ekstrom was the recipient of the 2013 Role Model Leaders award given by NC State’s Center for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service. She is only the second student to receive the prestigious recognition in the award’s 26-year history.

Read an earlier feature story about Ekstrom and Headbands of Hope on the CHASS newsblog.

Transcription of Ekstrom’s graduation speech May 2013