Tag: convocation

Grady College Convocation to be held at Classic Center May 10; Victoria Marsha selected as senior speaker

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Grady College will hold convocation ceremonies for its graduating Ph.D., master’s and undergraduate students Wednesday, May 10 at 1 p.m. in the Grand Hall at the Classic Center.

Victoria Marsh graduation portrait
Victoria Marsha was selected during an audition process to be the senior speaker. (Photo: Alexander Rekaan)

Headlining the celebration will be Victoria Marsha, a graduating student of the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies, who was selected as the senior speaker.

Graduates are welcome to invite up to eight family members and friends to the ceremony and can pick up tickets from the Dean’s Suite, Room 207, in the College. Graduates do not need a ticket for themselves. If extra tickets remain, notification will be sent by noon on Wednesday, May 3 with instructions on how to pick up additional tickets.

As senior speakers, Marsha will address the graduates talking about “The Beauty in Choices.”

Marsha has held several internships over the past few years and currently interns with NBC Universal. After graduation, Marsha will transition to a full time role with the same team as a media operations associate producer. She has also been an independent contractor for DawgVision ESPN, working with SEC UGA sports. Marsha serves as a Grady Ambassador and in addition to majoring in EMST, she will graduate with minors in theatre and film studies. She aspires for a career in post production after graduation.

In addition to convocation, the College invites its graduates and their families to celebrate at their Grady Graduation Celebrations on the Schnitzer Family Media Lawn. The celebration for graduate students takes place Thursday, May 11 from noon to 2 p.m. following UGA Commencement for graduate students. The Graduation Celebration for undergraduate students takes place Friday, May 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. before the UGA Commencement for undergraduate students.

Please take note of the following:

  • For convocation, students must check in at the Classic Center, 300 N. Thomas St., from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Students wishing to participate in the ceremony must arrive before 12:45 p.m.
  • Attire for graduates for convocation is professional. Caps and gowns are not worn during convocation.
  • The convocation ceremony is expected to be live-streamed on the UGA Grady YouTube page.
  • Due to several convocation ceremonies for other UGA colleges taking place that same day, parking will be very limited. Please park at the Classic Center parking lot only during the time of the Grady College convocation.
  • UGA Commencement for undergraduates is Friday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Sanford Stadium. UGA Commencement for graduate students is Thursday, May 11 at 9:30 a.m. at Sanford Stadium. More details can be viewed in the UGA Commencement webpage.

Questions regarding convocation or the Senior Sendoff can be directed to Karen Andrews, KarenA@uga.edu.

Congratulations, Fall 2022 Graduates

Posted on by Sarah Freeman
Please visit our Fall 2022 Convocation landing page to view a roll call of graduates and social media aggregator.

Nearly 150 graduates and their family members attended convocation ceremonies Dec. 16, 2022. Convocation took place in the UGA Fine Arts Auditorium followed by a graduation celebration a block away at Grady College.

The ceremony honored nearly 180 undergraduate students, and more than 50 graduate students, which included MFA Narrative Nonfiction and MFA Film students who graduated at the end of the summer.

One student, Shuoya Sun, earned a Ph.D. in journalism after presenting her thesis paper, “The effect of arousal spike positions under skippable and non-skippable in-stream video advertising and the underlying psychological mechanisms.”

The highlight of the convocation ceremony was a brief speech delivered by graduating senior Lindsay Richman, a public relations and Spanish major, who talked about the power of embracing change.

Lindsay Richman delivers her convocation talk with a podium in front of her.
Lindsay Richman was chosen to be the senior speaker during Convocation. She challenged the audience to rewrite the rules and make changes when needed.

She talked about how she reinvented herself from a student who struggled in her early school years to one who rewrote her life script in high school, changing into an AP student. She had to regroup further when her mother died last May.

“The universe changes or eliminates the rules on us all the time,” Richman said. “You just have to see it.  I’m not saying you have to lose someone close to you to realize your potential. But when life goes “un-according to plan”…the experience can become a catalyst that transforms us or unlocks whom we might have become one day in the distant future.”

She concluded her time challenging the graduates to have the courage to change, if needed.

“Whether we have jobs lined up or no idea what’s coming next, we can ask ourselves every day, ‘Is this where I want to be?  Who I want to be?  Am I living a life I’m proud of?’ And, if the answer is no, change it.  Work for a better society.  For a better you.”

Richman’s speech can be viewed beginning at the 5:00 minute mark in the convocation ceremony video below.

 

Following the ceremonies, families walked down Baldwin street to the graduation celebration at Grady College, which included sweet treats, photo opportunities and a change to mingle fellow graduates, faculty and staff.

Please view the following UGGrady Flickr accounts to view pictures from the day:

  • Lindsay Richman talked about having the courage to rewrite rules and make changes. (Photo: Jackson Schroeder)

 

Eric Baker, Delaney Tarr named convocation speakers

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Grady College proudly announces speakers for its online 2022 spring convocation. Alumnus Eric Baker (ABJ ‘90) has been selected to deliver the charge to candidates and Delaney Tarr, a graduating journalism major, has been selected as the distinguished senior speaker.

The online convocation will be available for viewing on the UGAGrady YouTube channel, UGAGrady Facebook page or the Grady College graduation webpage starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 13.

Following a positive response from graduates over the past few semesters, the online convocation will be accompanied by a Celebration of Graduates from 2 to 5 p.m. on May 13, before the UGA Commencement at 7 p.m. at Sanford Stadium. Commencement ceremonies for graduate students will be held on May 13 at 9:30 a.m. at Stegeman Coliseum.

Eric Baker is senior prop manager with Universal Creative, where he contributed to multiple award winning projects including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park and Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida. He supervised the design, construction, art direction and installation of more than 106,000 pieces of props and set dressing. Prior to Universal, Baker served as creative director for Walt Disney Imagineering and was responsible for storytelling and playscapes of everything from Disney cruise ships to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Baker spent time on the Star Wars film sets, as well as traveling the world to find almost 100,000 pieces of props and set dressing that brings Galaxy’s Edge to life.  He graduated from Grady College with a degree in EMST (then Telecommunication Arts) and was active as a student with WUOG and the University Union.

Delaney Tarr is a senior from Coral Springs, Florida, studying journalism with a minor in women’s studies. Tarr has interests in broadcast news, political reporting and food writing, and her background in activism led her to pursue stories that uplift unheard voices in the community. She has spent her collegiate career writing for The Red & Black, UGA’S student-run independent newspaper. During the summer of 2021, Tarr interned with the independent news outlet The Pavlovic Today as a White House reporter and Gen Z voice reporter. She was named a 2022 McGill Fellow and was active in Phi Kappa, the debate society.

Online Convocation

All spring 2022 graduates are invited to submit a photo or short video clip to be included in the online convocation program. Details and a custom link for each graduate can be found in the emails from StageClip. The deadline to submit materials is May 6, 2022. Questions can be directed to Karen Andrews.

Graduation Celebration

Grady College’s Spring 2022 Graduation Celebration will take place on the College lawn and is open to graduates and their families.

Graduates can walk across the graduation stage, have their name read aloud by a faculty member and receive congratulations from Dean Davis.

  • AdPR faculty will be on hand to read names of AdPR graduates from 2 to 3 p.m.
  • Journalism faculty will be on hand to read names of journalism graduates from 3 to 4 p.m.
  • EMST faculty will be on hand to read names of EMST graduates from 4 to 5 p.m.

While these are dedicated times for each department, graduates and their families are welcome any time during the event and names will be called whatever time period is most convenient.

This drop-in celebration will feature light refreshments and will feature the online convocation ceremony playing on a loop throughout the event.

Visit the Grady College Graduation webpage starting May 13 for a list of graduates and messages of congratulations.

Visit the UGA Commencement for more details about the UGA ceremonies.

Hsiao and Esemuede named Grady Convocation speakers; Perry named UGA Commencement student speaker

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Wendy Hsiao (AB ‘09) will deliver the Charge to Candidates and Eden Esemuede will be the senior speaker during the virtual Fall 2021 Grady College Convocation, available to view starting at 10 a.m. on Dec. 16, 2021.

Meagan Perry, a graduating public relations student and Grady College Ambassador, has been named the University of Georgia student speaker for the undergraduate commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. on Dec. 17 at Sanford Stadium.

Hsiao is an account director at Weber Shandwick in Atlanta. She specializes in media relations and works with clients including McDonald’s and Anytime Fitness. She has been profiled by several publications including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Atlantan Magazine and VoyageATL. She was recently named an honoree in the Top Women in Communications for the Leader category by Ragan Communications and PR Daily.

Hsiao earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and a certificate from the New Media Institute. She is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), the Public Relations Society of America, ColorComm and the UGA Atlanta Alumni Association. She also serves as a mentor for the University of Georgia.

Esemuede will graduate this semester with a degree in Entertainment and Media Studies and a minor in communication studies. During her time in school, she has been involved as a volunteer with Grady Newsource and a variety of student productions. She is a HOPE scholarship recipient and Presidential scholar and is president of the On The Spot Improv group. Her career aspirations include going to law school and becoming an entertainment lawyer.

Perry is a Grady Ambassador and has been involved in the Public Relations Student Society of America Drewry chapter. She serves as an event coordinator for UGA CHAARG, a health empowerment organization, was on the summer staff member if the Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center and moderated Grady College’s 2021 40 Under 40 panel. Perry has studied abroad in Madrid, Paris and Rio. Her capstone project is a year-long public relations initiative for the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame.

The UGA graduate student Commencement will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 at Sanford Stadium.

All Grady College graduates and their families are invited to a Celebration of Graduates on the Grady College Lawn on Thursday, Dec. 16 from 3 to 5 p.m. Students can drop-in and walk across the graduation stage, visit with other graduates and faculty and have a picture taken with Dean Davis. Light refreshments will be served. 

Spring 2022 Grady Graduation Celebration

Grady College’s Spring 2022 Graduate Celebration will take place on the College lawn.

Students can walk across the graduation stage, have their name read aloud by a faculty member and receive congratulations from Dean Davis.

  • AdPR faculty will be on hand to read names of AdPR graduates from 2 to 3 p.m.
  • Journalism faculty will be on hand to read names of journalism graduates from 3 to 4 p.m.
  • EMST faculty will be on hand to read names of EMST graduates from 4 to 5 p.m.

While these are dedicated times for each department, graduates and their families are welcome any time during the event and names will be called whatever time period is most convenient.

This drop-in celebration will feature light refreshments and will have the virtual convocation ceremony playing on a loop throughout the day.

For the latest on UGA’s Fall Commencement, visit: Commencement.uga.edu.

Our Graduation and Convocation website can be found here.

 

Fall 2021 Convocation & Celebration

Grady College’s Fall 2021 Convocation & Celebration will take place on the College lawn.

Students can walk across the graduation stage, have their name read aloud by a faculty member, and shake Dean Davis’ hand.

This drop-in celebration will feature light refreshments and will have the virtual convocation ceremony playing on a loop throughout the day.

Our Graduation and Convocation website can be found here.

For the latest on UGA’s Fall Commencement, go to: Commencement.uga.edu.

Congratulations, Spring 2021 Graduates

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

After a year like no other, we proudly recognize the perseverance, determination and tenacity of our graduates.

Our graduates are celebrated in a virtual convocation this year and an in-person Senior Sendoff on the Grady College Lawn on Thursday, May 13 from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Commencement Ceremonies for Grady and Terry College graduates take place Thursday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Sanford Stadium. The Commencement speaker is Maria Taylor (ABJ ’09, MBA ’13).

Please visit the following to celebrate the Class of 2021:

Greg Bluestein, Joshua Marx headline College Spring Convocation

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Greg Bluestein (ABJ ’04), a political reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Joshua Marx, a graduating Entertainment and Media Studies student, will be the featured speakers at the Spring 2021 Grady College Convocation.

The convocation ceremony will be virtual and broadcast on the UGA Grady College YouTube channel, UGAGrady Facebook page and on the college graduation webpage beginning at 10 a.m. on May 13, 2021.

Bluestein will deliver the charge to candidates. As a political reporter, Bluestein covers the governor’s office and state politics. He joined the newspaper in June 2012 after spending seven years with the Atlanta bureau of The Associated Press, where he covered a range of beats that included politics and legal affairs. He also contributes to the AJC’s Political Insider blog and is writing a book, “How the Peach State turned Purple,” about the 2020 Georgia elections. He discussed the publication process, the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol and identifying local angles in national stories in this episode of The Lead podcast. Bluestein received the College’s John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award in 2014.

Marx is from Gainesville, Georgia, and was selected in a competitive search to address the graduates as the distinguished senior speaker. In addition to his EMST studies, Marx is also majoring in economics. During his time as a student, Marx has written multiple screenplays and pilot scripts, as well as an economic thesis investigating the impact of Georgia tax credits for the film industry. During his sophomore year, Marx studied at Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg in Germany. Marx has been involved with several organizations on campus including serving as vice president of Esports at UGA, president of On the Spot Improv and a judge for the Bahamas International Film Festival screenwriting competition. Following graduation, Marx plans to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in screenwriting at Boston University in further preparation for a career in screenwriting, directing and producing for film and television.

In addition to comments from Bluestein and reflections from Marx, the virtual convocation will include comments from Dean Charles Davis, a virtual roll-call of graduates with self-submitted pictures and short videos, a welcome message from Grady Society Alumni Board President Lauren Izzo (ABJ ’05, MA ’07) and reflections from some Grady Ambassadors.

Spring undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit pictures and short videos for the production which is being produced by StageClip. Graduates who did not receive an email from StageClip with a link to submit materials should email Karen Andrews at KarenA@uga.edu for further instructions.

Editor’s Note: Several UGA Commencement ceremonies will be offered to encourage social distancing.

 

The UGA Commencement ceremony for Grady College undergraduate students and family members takes place Thursday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Sanford Stadium. Maria Taylor (ABJ ’09, MBA ’13) will deliver comments live to graduates.

 

The UGA graduate student Commencement ceremony takes place Friday, May 14 at 10 a.m. at Sanford Stadium. David Lee, vice president for research, will deliver comments to graduates.

 

A special Senior Send-off will be hosted on the Grady College lawn for all College graduates and their family members on Thursday, May 13 from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. The convocation video will be played and graduates will have a chance to enjoy some light snacks, photo opportunities and visiting with faculty and staff.

 

Ryan Carty, Maggie Cavalenes headline virtual fall convocation

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Ryan Carty (ABJ ’09) and soon-to-be graduate Maggie Cavalenes will not be at a loss of topics related to overcoming challenges and persevering when they address the fall Grady College graduates during virtual convocation ceremonies.

The ceremony will be available for viewing beginning at 11 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2020, and will include comments from Dean Charles Davis, a virtual roll-call of graduates complete with self-submitted pictures and short videos, a welcome message from Grady Society Alumni Board President Lauren Izzo (ABJ ’05, MA ’07), comments from Carty who will deliver the charge to candidates and reflections from Cavalenes who was selected to be the distinguished senior speaker.

Carty currently serves as recruiter in GMS, partnerships and consumer marketing for Facebook. He is well-known here not only from his time as a student, but also serving as the college’s liaison with the UGA Career Center followed by its first director of experiential learning from 2014 to 2016. Since that time, Carty has served in various recruiter roles at Tegna and Truist, before joining Facebook early this year. During his time as a student, Carty served as a college ambassador and held a T. Howard Foundation internship and went on to earn a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in professional counseling from UGA.

Cavalenes was selected to be the distinguished senior speaker based on an audition process among graduating seniors. She graduates with a degree in public relations, a minor in women’s studies and a Public Affairs Communications certificate. Cavalenes was very involved with campus activities during her time as a student including serving as social media editor for The Red & Black special publications, co-president of HER Campus UGA, executive communications director of Student Government Association and a Tieger Fellow for the Public Affairs Communication Program, among others. She also held several internships during her time including positions, among others, at the Disney College Program; Guardian; and Tupperware Brands where she is currently focusing on social media strategy in their Early Talent Identification Program. Cavalenes is from Cumming, Georgia.

Cavelenes was interviewed for a profile in spring 2019 at which time she talked about what it’s like to be a student with initiative and a positive attitude: “There’s no need for negativity in an empty space – I try to come into things with positive energy and with the hope of receiving good things back.”

Fall graduates are invited to submit pictures and short videos for the video production produced by StageClip. Graduates who did not receive an email from StageClip with a link to submit materials should email Karen Andrews at KarenA@uga.edu for further instructions.

The ceremony will be available to watch any time on the UGA Grady College YouTube channel and on the college graduation webpage.

Fall 2019 graduates challenged to be informed and active in communities

Posted on by Dayne Young
Graduates Call the Dawgs prior to convocation.

Pictures from the Fall 2019 Grady Convocation can be viewed on the UGA Grady Flickr gallery:

Fall 2019 convocation graduates:

Video of convocation:

Grady College graduates were celebrated and challenged to lead in their respective fields at the Fall 2019 Convocation ceremonies on December 12, 2019, at the Hugh Hodgson Performing Arts Center. More than 160 students graduated from Grady College this semester, many of whom participated in convocation.

Graduate students eligible for graduation included 25 MFA, Emerging Media and master’s in public relations students. Undergraduates who were recognized included 24 students with an advertising degree, 19 with a degree in public relations, 52 from the journalism program and 40 from entertainment and media studies.

Dean Charles Davis presided over the ceremony, giving an overview of Grady’s accomplishments this past year and praising students for their hard work, passion and academic excellence.

Randy Travis (ABJ ’82), investigative reporter for Fox 5 Atlanta and a recent Peabody Award winner, addressed graduates with a talk focusing on fulfilling the responsibility to be informed and challenge government leaders.

“This is a crucial time for journalism,” Travis said. “Rise to the occasion and do what you have been taught here. You have got the tools now and I know you have the confidence.”

Travis encouraged graduates to consume news from respected sources every day.

“Be an ambassador for news,” Travis said. “That means being informed.”

The distinguished senior speaker, a student chosen based on an audition among the graduates for the honor, was Peyton Lewis, a journalism major. She focused her remarks on the relationships she built at Grady College.

“It was so nice to know that I would always have someone in my corner to mentor me and grow me,” Lewis said. “I think we should all strive to be that person for someone else.”

Michael Gray (ABJ ’11), a member of the Grady Society Alumni Board,  concluded the platform of speakers by welcoming the students to the alumni ranks of the college and encouraging new alumni to stay involved through mentoring, coming to alumni receptions to meet current students and supporting Grady Giving Day.

“Your time here has afforded you the opportunity to build relationships that will be with you forever if you take the time to stay in touch,” Gray said.

 

Compilation video produced by Dayne Young