Southern Campus hosts 2017 Fall Graduate Recognition Ceremony
Photo courtesy of: 51ĀŅĀ× Southern CampusMasterās graduates Mike Donley and Courtney Reiser stand as they are recognized during the ceremony.
With long nights of studying behind them for now, summer and fall graduates were all smiles Thursday night as 51ĀŅĀ× Southern held its Graduate Recognition Ceremony in Bowman Auditorium.
The Southern Campus, founded in 1956, held its first Graduate Recognition Ceremony in 1981, for a total of 46 graduates. At Thursday nightās event, faculty and staff recognized 171 ā 88 with associate degrees, 72 with bachelorās degrees and 11 with masterās degrees. More than 40 graduates attended the event with friends and family proudly looking on and cheering.
For Frankie Pratt, who received her bachelorās degree in Early Childhood Education, the evening was bittersweet.
āI loved that the Southern Campus was small enough that I got to know everyone so well, but Iām excited to start substitute teaching in January and to make a little money working and doing something that Iām passionate about,ā Pratt said.
Just minutes before the ceremony, Southern Campus staff member Mike Donleyā who completed his Master of Science Degree in Computer Education and Technology from the Athens campusā was taking photos of his fellow graduates in their caps and gowns. A quick outfit change later, he joined them in the line as they filed into the hall.
Much like other Southern Campus non-traditional students who make up nearly 35-percent of the campusā enrolled population, Donley worked full-time while working on his masterās degree. For him it was worth the sacrifices as his degree will allow him to do more of what he enjoys.
āI absolutely love teaching and now I have the opportunity to do more of it,ā he said.
Donley is thinking about pursuing a Ph.D. at some point in the future. āItās definitely something I think about. I love the research element,ā he said.
Doug Korstanje, a 1990 graduate of 51ĀŅĀ× and now Vice President of Marketing and Community Relations for St. Maryās Medical Center, shared his congratulations to those who finished their degrees.
āBy furthering your education and what youāve done to earn this degree, you now have the tools to accomplish anything you want to do,ā Korstanje said. āSome of you may be the first in your family to graduate college ā others are continuing a family legacy of higher education. For each of you, no obstacle is too great. You are leaders.ā
The 51ĀŅĀ× Southern nursing program also recognized 12 graduates at the Fall 2017 Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Pinning and Recognition Ceremony earlier Thursday.