Grady College Convocation hits notes of resilience and enthusiasm

Rows of people seated in an auditorium face a stage where speakers and presenters stand at podiums. Some individuals cross the stage, suggesting an award or graduation ceremony, likely the Grady College Convocation.

Grady College celebrated its graduates on May 8, 2024, in the Grand Hall of the Athens Classic Center. (Photos: Sarah Freeman, Jackson Schroeder, Adam Walters)

Grady College Convocation hits notes of resilience and enthusiasm

May 10, 2024

Editor’s Note:

Grady College convocation can be viewed via this video on YouTube.

A list of Spring 2024 graduates can be viewed on our Graduation webpage.

Please view these photo albums for pictures of the Spring 2024 Convocation:

Convocation Candids

Graduate Students

Advertising Graduates

EMST Graduates

Journalism Graduates

Public Relations Graduates

Four women smile at the camera during Grady College Convocation; three wear white dresses, and one wears a green top with a white skirt. They stand in an open, covered outdoor space with people and greenery in the background.

Four young men in suits stand together, smiling at the camera under a covered outdoor area during Grady College Convocation. Trees and buildings are visible in the background, with a young woman appearing on the left.

A group of women, some in white and one in red, smile while checking in at a registration table manned by two seated women during the Grady College Convocation outdoors under a covered area.

Three young women smile and pose together at a Grady College Convocation graduation event. Two wear white sashes, and all are dressed in formal attire. They stand in an open, covered area with cars and greenery visible outside.

A group of people in an indoor setting raises their hands enthusiastically at the Grady College Convocation, facing forward. The background shows a crowd seated in rows along a paneled wall.

A large group of young adults, some in formal attire, sit in rows of chairs at the Grady College Convocation. Several people are smiling, talking, or using their phones, and a few look directly at the camera.

A young man in a bright blue suit waves and smiles while walking through the crowded Grady College Convocation, surrounded by people dressed formally, including a woman in a white dress in the foreground.

A woman in a black dress stands at a wooden podium, speaking into two microphones during the Grady College Convocation, with a black and red curtain backdrop and green plants in front.

At the Grady College Convocation, a woman at a podium hands an item to a young woman in white as others wait on stairs; the scene takes place indoors with people seated and plants decorating the stage.

Four people stand indoors by large windows, smiling at the camera during Grady College Convocation. One woman in a red dress holds bouquets of flowers, while others celebrate in the background at this formal event.

A person snaps a photo with a phone of three young people dressed formally, as if ready for Grady College Convocation; two wear black suits and one a white shirt. The trio poses thoughtfully, one with a finger on his chin.

A group of people smiling and posing indoors at the Grady College Convocation, holding up large letters that spell “CONGRATS EMMA!” with exclamation marks at each end. One child kneels in front, and everyone looks happy and celebratory.

A family poses and smiles for a photo in front of a stage with plants during the Grady College Convocation. A woman in the foreground holds a bouquet of flowers, while another person kneels to take a picture with a phone.

For a class of graduates who missed their high school graduation due to COVID, this year’s graduating students at Grady College Convocation made up for lost time by soaking in the energy and excitement from family and friends.

The convocation ceremony took place in the Grand Hall of the Athens Classic Center on Wednesday, May 8.

Dean Charles Davis acknowledged the enthusiasm of this class.

“This is a class that came to UGA in the teeth of a global pandemic,” Davis said in his opening comments. “A class that had a whole lot to make up for, and wow, have they ever made up ground. You’ve showed up and showed out. We all love your spirit and have admired the way you get involved. For a Dean and faculty who loves students, it’s so good to be able to celebrate you!”

This year’s senior speaker was Anna Womack, a graduating public relations student who earned a certificate in Public Affairs Communications and served as a Tieger Fellow and a Grady College ambassador.

She spoke about experiences that united the students in the Grady community, waiting for the door to open on that dream job opportunity and struggling through loss. Most importantly, she talked about embracing how far students have come.

“Take credit for your progress,” Womack told the audience. “The baby steps, the tears, the small accomplishments, the days you want to give up, are the ones that create your story and define success.”

Womack also challenged the class not to compare themselves to others: “Don’t look left and right to see others. Know that you can start late, look different, be uncertain and still succeed. You are resilient and you must go forward with truly living.”

More than 475 students graduated this year including eligible students in the following majors: four PhD. students, nearly 70 Master’s degree students, more than 75 graduates in Entertainment and Media Studies, nearly 115 graduates in journalism, almost 90 graduating with advertising degrees and nearly 125 students with public relations degrees.

A majority of the graduates participated in Convocation.

Author: Sarah Freeman, FreemanS@uga.edu