Austin College Announces Cynt Marshall as 2025 Commencement Speaker

 

SHERMAN, TEXAS – Austin College students, faculty, and staff will celebrate with friends and families of the Class of 2025 degree candidates at Commencement on Saturday, May 17.

Baccalaureate services will be held on Friday, May 16, in Wynne Chapel prior to the Commencement Ceremony on Saturday.

The student speaker selected by the Class of 2025 is Sherman native Blume Cernero who will graduate with a major in biochemistry and a minor in Spanish.

Blume is highly involved on campus—he is a Posey Leadership fellow and the founder of the program ’RooBuddies, a mentorship program connecting college students with local elementary students. He has also served as a Commuter Leader, First Year Seminar peer mentor, and a member of the Pre-Health Society.

Among the roles he’s held, Blume especially committed to his two years as a ’RooNavigator, leading campus tours and helping represent the College to prospective students and families. One of his proudest achievements is captaining the intramural team Dunkin’ Donuts, which has won two intramural championships and built a community of friends through competition across multiple sports.

Blume is passionate about service and plans to stay actively involved in the North Texas community. He currently volunteers with programs like MasterKey Ministries and the Arthritis Foundation. He also hopes to continue working with Sherman ISD and mentoring local students, combining his interests in healthcare, education, and service.

Blume is a member of The Lobby, a national medical device networking group, and plans to pursue a career in medical device sales.

The 2025 Commencement speaker will be Cynt Marshall, the President and CEO of Marshalling Resources Consulting, former CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, retired AT&T Executive, and author. Marshall will deliver her address to the graduates on the Clyde L. Hall Graduation Court as the College concludes the academic year and celebrates the students’ achievements.

Throughout her career, Marshall has stood out as a trailblazing leader in business. As the Senior Vice President for Human Resources & Chief Diversity Officer at AT&T, Marshall led the team that placed AT&T on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list. As the CEO of the Mavericks, Marshall brought transparency, trust, and her values-based leadership style—earning her the NBA’s Inclusion Leadership award twice during her tenure.

Widely recognized for her visionary leadership and ability to get things done, Marshall is the recipient of myriad honors and awards, some of which include the 2024 Junior Achievement Dallas Business Hall of Fame Laureate award, the 2022 Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum Hope for Humanity award, the 2014 HR Executive of the Year - Best in Biz Award, and the 2013 Leadership North Carolina Governor’s Award, which honors just one citizen each year for lifetime achievements.

Marshall graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with degrees in business administration and human resources management and holds four honorary doctorate degrees. She also earned a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University.

 
Marshall’s first book, You’ve Been Chosen, was released in September 2022 and was nominated for an NAACP Image award. She grew up in Richmond, California and lives in Dallas, Texas. She and her husband, Kenneth Marshall, have four adult children.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, pre-professional foundations, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 44 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow an 11:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.