Story by Liz Newlin

A s Georgia College & State University gears up for its 2024 spring commencement ceremonies, the significance of the event reverberates beyond the campus. For many graduating seniors, this ceremony marks more than just the end of their academic journey; it represents a chance to reclaim a rite of passage denied to them in 2020. 

COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of high school graduates worldwide, robbing them of the traditional pomp and circumstance. There was no turning of the tassels, shaking of hands or getting handed their diplomas. With ceremonies canceled or moved to virtual platforms, socially distanced ceremonies or other creative solutions, many graduates missed the opportunity to walk across the stage and celebrate with family and friends.

Josh Finnerty, a senior business management major, had a drive-in graduation at Alpharetta High school.

“They sent out a lot of emails and videos for the seniors but, it was pretty anticlimactic,” he said.

Finnerty and his family are particularly excited for the spring commencement “because of having an abnormal senior year in high school and missing out on major milestones due to the pandemic.”

Commencement ceremonies are rich in symbolism. They represent transitions and new beginnings. Without a ceremony to signify the completion of one chapter and commencement of another, students in 2020 felt off-balance and without closure. 

As the class of 2024 prepares to bid farewell to their alma mater at Georgia College, the importance of the ceremony for many students cannot be overstated. It serves as a symbol of hope and resilience for a generation that faced unprecedented challenges. 

Grace Ann Dixon, a senior mass communication major from Valdosta, Georgia, described her experience at Lowndes High School. 

“I attended my high school graduation [Lowndes High School] where students were in small groups with masks on for our distanced graduation ceremony,” she said. “My family and I are very excited to have a normal graduation to celebrate my accomplishments here at GCSU, walk across the stage and have everyone in my family there to support me.”

The significance commencement ceremonies extends beyond the academic realm. They provide an opportunity for graduates to reflect on their achievements and express gratitude to those who supported them. It helps to pause for a moment and take a congratulatory breath, before looking with optimism to the future. As the countdown to graduation continues, anticipation builds among students, faculty and staff.

There wasn’t any graduation at Mill Creek High School, where senior mass communication major, Liz Newlin, attended in Hoschton, Georgia.  

“We had a slideshow with pictures of the seniors,” Newlin said, “which is why this is such a huge deal for me and my family.”

“This ceremony is so exciting for me to be able to show my family and myself that my hard work has not gone unnoticed,” she said. “To be able to walk across the stage in a cap and gown for the first and last time ever is so exciting.”

In the midst of uncertainty and change, the 2024 commencement ceremony at Georgia College stands as a reminder that—even in the face of adversity—you can prevail.

As graduates prepare to take their next steps into the world, they do so with the knowledge they were first given a commencement ceremony to celebrate the challenges and academic achievements they have completed.

Georgia College & State University’s Spring Commencement Ceremonies on May 3,2024. The College of Health Sciences ceremony will be at 2 p.m., the John H. Lounsbury College of Education ceremony will be at 7 p.m. On Saturday, May 4, 2024 the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business and Technology ceremony will be at 9 a.m. and the College of Arts & Sciences ceremony will be at 2 p.m. Graduation will be held in the GCSU Centennial Center. Commencement will be broadcasted live over the internet via web cast. The link can be found from the Georgia College graduation page.

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