The University of Georgia is now a few thousand alumni stronger. Some 3,062 to be exact as nearly 1800 undergraduates and 1,263 graduate students qualified to walk in fall Commencement ceremonies Friday. The undergrad event was held at 9:30 Friday morning in Stegeman Coliseum. The graduate ceremony followed at 2:30 pm.
Wangechi Warui is one of those new graduates. After double majoring in Journalism at Grady College and International Affairs in the School of Public and International Affairs, or SPIA; she’s heading to a job at CNN International.
“I’m so grateful, I don’t have to have that sense of [job] insecurity,” Warui said.
But there are mixed emotions when it comes to leaving Athens.
“I’m happy that I’m finally done and it’s a sense of relief after all of these years of hard work, but also thinking about all the memories that I’ve had here and how much growing and changing that I’ve been through.”
“Congratulations!”
“Thank you so much. I’m so grateful for you, Alexia.”
“Oh my god.”
Ashely Soriano is also a double major from Grady and SPIA, quite an impressive achievement for the first generation college student.
Graduation is quite an achievement for the first generation college student.
“None of parents or grandparents graduated from college. My three sisters didn’t even graduate high school,” according to Soriano. “I feel very proud just to be here.”
She says she remained focused on achieving her goals.
“Throughout high school I worked really hard. I knew education was my ticket out of whatever situation I was in.”
Both Wangechi and Ashley were news interns at WUGA.
Regent Kessel Stelling Jr., chairman and CEO of Synovus Financial Corporation delivered the undergraduate address.
Professor Libby Morris, Director of UGA’s Institute of Higher Learning, spoke at the graduate ceremony.
Visit commencement.uga.edu for more information.
