PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philly native and "Abbott Elementary" creator Quinta Brunson returned to her hometown Wednesday to receive an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Temple University.
She left Temple to begin her now-influential entertainment career, so Brunson never graduated. But standing in front of the Class of 2024 at the Liacouras Center, Brunson told her mom she finally made it.
"It only took me 11 years, two Emmys and one Golden Globe to finally get a degree," she said.
Reflecting on her time at the university, she told the graduates that Temple’s campus was a special place.
"Remember that you're an Owl at heart. And that's a good thing.”
Noting that many graduates started during the pandemic, she said she knew it wasn't easy to attend college in person, let alone on Zoom.
"Congratulations not only for graduating college, but for surviving North Philadelphia as well. Congratulations, that's incredible!"
Brunson told the Temple grads to cherish the relationships they've formed in North Philly.
On Tuesday, she was honored with the 2024 Lew Klein Award for Excellence in Media.