by Amanda Respess

O n Saturday, Dec. 14, Georgia College & State University conferred nearly 350 degrees on both undergraduate and graduate students in the class of 2024. The Georgia College December commencement ceremony was held in The Centennial Center on the Georgia College campus.

A full recording of Saturday's ceremony is available to view on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. The complete Winter 2024 Commencement photo gallery is available to view and download here.

The December graduating class included 224 undergraduate students earning bachelor’s degrees and 101 students earning master’s degrees. The most popular majors among the graduating class are nursing, management, psychology, biology and mass communication. Members of this graduating class hail from six different states, as well as several countries internationally. 

Georgia College President Cathy Cox welcomed the graduates and their guests, and the university faculty, staff and students.

"Many of the students participating in our ceremony today had their educational and professional journeys interrupted four years ago in 2020, a year marked by unprecedented challenges and unforeseen disruptions," Cox told the class of 2024, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic. "Your strength, determination and perseverance during that time speaks volumes about your character and your ability to overcome adversity...You have made it through a lot of challenges – and there are good days ahead!"

The commencement keynote address was given by Prof. Jehan El-Jourbagy, J.D., associate professor of Business Law and Ethics and recipient of the 2024 GCSU Excellence in Teaching Award.

"Be indispensable. Ask questions. Seek the truth," El-Jourbagy told students. "That’s it. The secret to life."

This December ceremony marked the 100th commencement ceremony planned and presided over by University Registrar Dr. A. Kay Anderson. During her 17 years at Georgia College, Anderson orchestrated 99 commencements, including one year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when Anderson organized 47 separate ceremonies to accommodate social distancing protocols for hundreds of graduates and their guests.

About Georgia College & State University

Located in Milledgeville, Georgia, Georgia College & State University is one of three selective admission institutions in the University System of Georgia, along with Georgia Tech and The University of Georgia. With an enrollment of over 7,100 students from 150 of Georgia’s 159 counties, GCSU was ranked sixth among all public regional universities in the South – and first among schools in Georgia — in the US News & World Report’s 2025 rankings. Since 2022, GCSU has also produced the No. 1 academic success rate among all NCAA Division II public schools in the country. Hands-on learning opportunities at the university are available in top undergraduate majors, including Business, Nursing, Education, Psychology, Exercise Science and Communications, plus dozens of graduate programs and a pre-med mentoring pathway to medical school admission.