‘Leave your mark’: S.C. State alum, physician encourages graduates

Dr. Antoinette Williams Rutherford, a pulmonary physician, has been defined by the positive impact she has made on others’ lives.

“As you venture on in life, at different points in your life, you will have this definition of success change. Success is equally about the impact you make, the lives that you touch and the difference that you make in this world,” Rutherford said.

Rutherford served as the featured speaker at S.C. State’s fall commencement exercises held in the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center on Friday. She’s medical director of adult sleep medicine at Prisma Health Midlands, as well as interim division chief of pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine at Prisma Health.

The 1993 graduate of Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School graduated with honors from S.C. State in 1997. She was the first S.C. State student to graduate from the University of South Carolina’s School of Medicine.

She said being accepted into medical school had been a pinnacle of success for her, but her understanding of true success eventually changed.

“As life evolved, my perception of success has shifted. It wasn’t solely about personal achievement and accomplishments, but evolved from personal milestones to the impact that I could make. True success is not measured solely by personal achievements, but, again, by the lives you touch and the communities you serve,” she said.

Rutherford continued, “Today, my success is about helping others achieve their aspirations. It is about dedicating myself to the people of South Carolina, improving their health care and ensuring a better tomorrow for others.”

Rutherford said true success will not necessarily come overnight, but will be more of a journey.

“In this digital era of Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, where the lure of success is dazzled in our eyes and where sometimes success could be done quickly, that is not always the case. … Just like a flower, it takes time to grow,” she said.

“Graduating today is one success, but there are definitely more to come. Remember to define your success, but do not forget that success is fluid. It evolves. It adapts and morphs into something more profound. … Keep defining your success and expect that once you’ve achieved one success, you will have others,” she said.

“I want you to remember to celebrate the small victories because these small victories will lead to larger triumphs,” Rutherford said.

She said the graduates that “Bulldog tenacity” can take them anywhere and urged them to leave their own indelible mark on the world.

“I’m known to get the job done. Leave your mark. Make yourself known in your own way. … Success often favors those who persist in the face of adversity,” Rutherford said.

She also urged the graduates to set goals, take advantage of opportunities and stand ready to adapt to technological and other changes the world will be bring.

“Remain open to pivoting. … Keep an open mind and seize opportunities as they appear,” she said.

Rutherford said she stayed in Hodge Hall on the S.C. State campus, where she poured herself into the pursuit of learning. It’s a process that never ends.

The physician said she had her own personal chant: “If can do it, yes I can. If I can’t do it, no one can.” She said it helped her develop her authenticity and life’s purpose.

“Your uniqueness is your strength,” Rutherford said, admonishing the graduates to embrace failure and use it as stepping stone to greater things.

“I know that you can do it. The world awaits your Bulldog tenacity and brilliance,” she said.

S.C. State President Alexander Conyers told the graduates that they’re ready for the challenges ahead.

“The world awaits you with many complex challenges, but I’m confident that you’re more than ready to rise to the occasion. In fact, you were built for these challenges,” Conyers said.