Spring 2025 graduates celebrated at Grady College Convocation

Graduates shake the hands of faculty members as they cross the convocation stage.
Grady College Convocation was held May 7, 2025, at the Athens Classic Center Grand Hall. More than 525 students graduated from Grady College this semester. (Photo/Sarah E. Freeman)

Spring 2025 graduates celebrated at Grady College Convocation

May 09, 2025

Spring 2025 Grady College graduates were celebrated by family, friends, faculty and staff at Grady College’s Convocation ceremony on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at the Athens Classic Center Grand Hall. 

More than 525 graduate and undergraduate students graduated from Grady College this semester including two Ph.D. students, nearly 100 master’s students, more than 100 advertising students, almost 90 students from the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies, more than 110 journalism students and more than 120 students majoring in public relations. 

The ceremony was hosted by Jonathan Peters, head of the Department of Journalism, since Dean Charles Davis was not able to attend due to an injury.

Peters applauded the students on producing award-winning campaigns, reporting for the Associated Press through the written word and photographs, and producing and directing films, among other accolades. He even acknowledged the thousands of hot dogs eaten at Dawgs with the Dean.

“Graduates, we admire your creative spirit and determination, and the kindness that you have shown along the way” Peters said.

De'Ondre Harris smiles as he stands behind a podium.
De’Ondre Harris was the senior speaker and talked about how Grady College is the heartbeat of campus, where hot dogs are grilled by deans who know students by name. (Photo/Lauren A. Pike)

Following Peters, senior speaker De’Ondre Harris, a journalism major also pursuing a degree in public relations through the Double Dawgs program, shared the way many graduates took different paths to lead to the same outcome.

“Whether you started here as a wide-eyed freshman or transferred in like me, Grady became our home,” Harris said. “It’s where we learned how to chase stories, speak truth, edit until our eyes burned, and of course, where we heard Cantrell yell “Wide! Medium! Tight! Tight! Tight!”—over and over again,” he added, referring to Professor Dodie Cantrell-Bickley, his instructor for the capstone Grady Newsource course.

He continued, “But, more than the skills and the syllabi, Grady gave us something deeper—it gave us family. It gave us the people who would cheer us on, share a snack in the PAF, commiserate over deadlines, and give the best hallway waves—looking at you, Dean Davis.” 

A group of young adults and two women pose indoors at the Grady Convocation, many wearing red dresses or red sashes, smiling at the camera in front of a white circular wall feature.
Four women in floral and black dresses smile together for a photo at Grady Convocation, while another person in a hijab and red patterned clothing captures the moment on a smartphone. The background is bright and neutral.
A group of thirteen young adults dressed in semi-formal attire pose together indoors, some wearing graduation stoles and medals, smiling happily at a Grady Convocation celebration event.
Two smiling women pose indoors at Grady Convocation; one wears a black off-shoulder dress, the other a red dress with a white graduation stole. People in similar attire are in the background, and large windows let in natural light.
A young man in a white shirt hugs a woman in a red jacket during the Grady Convocation, with people and potted plants visible onstage and an audience seated at this formal event.
A large audience sits facing a stage with black curtains at Grady Convocation. A person stands at a podium next to a Georgia Gwinnett College sign, while a video of a man in a red shirt plays on a large screen to the left.
Five smiling graduates wearing white stoles, some with medals, stand together at Grady Convocation. Four wear red, white, and black cords. Dressed in white or red outfits, they celebrate the Class of 2023 indoors.
Several people sitting in bleachers at the Grady Convocation, clapping and holding up phones to capture photos or videos. They appear to be watching an event, with metal railings in front of them.
A smiling graduate in a black suit, red tie, and University of Georgia sash celebrates Grady Convocation indoors, wearing large mascot gloves and holding up one finger in a triumphant gesture.
A man in a dark suit and tie smiles while talking to a woman with long white hair in a light dress. They are standing indoors near a table stacked with books at the Grady Convocation, with a black curtain in the background.
Four young adults dressed formally, three women in dresses and one man in a suit with graduation cords and a stole, smile and pose together indoors at what appears to be a Grady Convocation celebration.
Three young women, two in red blazers and one in a denim jacket, hug each other and smile warmly in a hallway during Grady Convocation, while another woman in a red blazer stands nearby, also smiling.
A woman in a red dress shakes hands with another woman on stage at the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication's Grady Convocation. A banner and green plants are visible in the background.
Four adults stand together indoors, smiling at the camera. One man in the center wears a Grady Convocation stole and suit; the others are dressed in formal attire. They appear to be at an event or ceremony in a large room.
A woman in a red blazer hands out papers to attendees entering the Grady Convocation room; some women wear matching red shirts, and a sign nearby prohibits balloons.
A man in a suit and glasses stands at a podium with two microphones during the Grady Convocation, smiling at a person in a floral dress who is facing him. The background is dark and there is a speaker in the foreground.
Three women stand in a row at Grady Convocation, each holding up a phone to capture the moment, with rows of chairs and other seated guests visible in the background.
Three young women pose and smile for a photo at Grady Convocation while another woman snaps their picture with her phone in a bright, modern lobby bustling with people in the background.
A woman smiles and raises her hand while seated among a group of people at the Grady Convocation, with others around her also focused on something ahead.

View the slide show above and view complete photo albums from Spring 2025 Grady College Convocation can be found in the following UGAGrady Flickr albums: 

Video of the Grady College Convocation can be viewed below or on the UGAGrady YouTube page. Harris’ talk begins at the 5:00 mark.

Author: Sarah E. Freeman