Solomon ‘22 Speaks on Resilience at Fall Convocation Honoring Alumni

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Oct. 29, 2026) – Victor Solomon ’22, a Top 5 finalist on “The Voice,” emphasized the importance of resilience as keynote speaker at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s annual Fall Convocation on Thursday, Oct. 29, in Harrison Auditorium.

Convocation is one of many events during N.C. A&T’s centennial edition of the Greatest Homecoming on Earth. The celebration is expected to bring close to 300,000 alumni and visitors to the university’s campus and Greensboro area and $57 million in economic impact.

Chancellor James R. Martin II presided over the occasion honoring 13 notable alumni with many distinguished guests in attendance, including local and state elected officials, members of the university’s Boards of Trustees and Visitors and the Advisory Council of Alumni Relations, as well as faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends and families of the honorees.

“We honor exceptional individuals whose dedication, creativity and leadership embody the very best of North Carolina A&T,” said Martin. “Your accomplishments continue to elevate North Carolina A&T’s proud legacy of excellence, inspire all of us, especially our students, to dream boldly and to lead with purpose and strengthen the bridge between generations linking those who paved the way with those who will shape our future.”

Solomon is a singer, performer, ordained minister, and creative visionary whose artistry is rooted in faith, leadership, and a passion for inspiring others. Originally from Chicago and raised in Peoria, Illinois, he discovered his love for music through church and school choirs, laying the foundation for his journey as an artist. He gained national recognition on Season 20 of NBC’s The Voice, representing Team Legend, and later continued his national television journey on Season 23 of American Idol, earning a place in the Top 20.

Solomon studied business management and musical performance while embracing opportunities in leadership, service and music. He served as Mr. A&T in 2021 and went on to become the 17^th Mr. HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). He served as an Aggie Success Leader and performed with both the Gospel and University Choirs. He is also a member of the Beta Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Now based in Los Angeles, Solomon serves as a minister and worship director at Hope’s House Christian Ministries while pursuing his career as an independent artist.

“A&T is not great simply because of its buildings and traditions; it’s great because of the people who bring its history to life,” he said. “We come from a legacy of people who kept going when the odds were against them. That is what Aggies did, and that is what Aggies Do.”

During the ceremony, each of A&T’s colleges recognized one of its alumni for their outstanding work and accomplishments on behalf of their respective college and for service to the alumni community. Three university-wide honors that celebrate lifelong service and support to A&T, its community and alumni were also bestowed.

“If our students are the heartbeat, then our alumni are the heart,” said Crystal W. Boyce, M.S. ‘07 ‘15, associate vice chancellor for Alumni Relations. “Bringing together generations of Aggies during this historic milestone of 100 years to honor our past, celebrate our present and inspire our future is a defining moment in the university’s history and a powerful reminder that the strength of North Carolina A&T has always been found in its people.”

The 2026 Alumni Achievement Award recipients are:

• College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences: Glover Ford Jr., ‘88, ‘96, founder and owner, Four Seasonal Nursery and general manager, Ford’s Landscaping, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
• College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences: Bradford J. “B.J.” Evans Jr. ‘94, vice president of basketball communications, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics: Alex Miller ‘05, director, national solutions providers, NVIDIA, San Francisco
• College of Education: Dawn Williams ‘95, Ph.D., deputy provost, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• College of Engineering: Ashley Coleman ‘09, ‘10, technology development manager, Emerging Technology Office, Duke Energy, Charlotte, North Carolina
• John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences: Ora Lea Strickland ‘70, Ph.D., dean and professor emerita, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and professor emerita, Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, John Creek, Georgia
• College of Science and Technology: Kevin Norman Jeffries ‘96, senior explosion safety consultant, Fike Corp., Blue Springs, Missouri
• The Graduate College: Kanton Reynolds ‘97, ‘14, Ph.D., director of undergraduate programs and associate teaching professor, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
• The Honors College: Laveda Casterlow McDowell ‘04, associate director of strategic operational performance and outsourcing, Biogen, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
• Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering: Rabin Pokharel ‘22, Ph.D., senior field process engineer, ASM America Inc., Portland, Oregon
• Velma R. Speight Young Alumni Award: Terrell Morton ‘11, Ph.D., associate professor, University of Illinois Chicago
• Julia S. Brooks Achievement Award: Kaleena Clarkson ‘04, registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist, Morris Heights Health Center, Bronx, New York
• Howard C. Barnhill Distinguished Service Award: retired Air Force Lt. Col. Charles M. Coffin Jr. ‘76, senior acquisition and contracting staff officer, Defense Information Systems Agency and retired senior procurement analyst, Defense Logistics Agency, Greensboro, North Carolina