around campus
Graduates celebrated for resilience The sounds of cheers and airhorns filled the air as family members and friends watched the Class of 2022 receive their diplomas during Commencement at Callaway Stadium on May 21. For these graduates, their college experience has been anything but traditional. At the height of the pandemic, they had to learn how to engage with their professors and classmates in a virtual environment. Jasmine Middleton ’22, Waights G. Henry Jr. Leadership Award recipient, said the changes brought on by the pandemic made the Class of 2022 nothing short of overcomers. “We could have let COVID-19
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hold us back and discourage us, but instead we took it as motivation to overcome adversity,” she said. “We did not let the pandemic stop us from playing our part in winning over 300 games, performing 16 shows, raising over $62,000 for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, putting over 5,000 hours of service into our community or graduating.” President Susanna Baxter expressed her appreciation to the graduates. “You’ve honed your skills, sharpened your minds, wowed us on the playing field or stage—and we have become a real family,” Dr. Baxter said. During the ceremony, Dr. R.
Rhett C. Yates M’99, Distinguished Service Alumni Award recipient, encouraged graduates to stay connected with the college. To promote the Panthers baseball game following the ceremony, Yates shot a selfie video with the crowd. Retired Col. Max Wood ’81, keynote speaker at the ceremony, offered some words of advice to the Class of 2022. “Think through your choices, pray through your choices and choose wisely,” he said. A photo gallery for the Class of 2022 can be found at www.lagrange. edu/graduation.
