Clayton State University graduated almost 200 students Friday afternoon during a brisk 80-minute ceremony that struggled initially through a few technical difficulties but was on point when it mattered.
Friday’s commencement was the first of two exercises planned for the south metro Atlanta university this weekend. The remaining graduating class of 2024 – there will be 398 graduates in total – will graduate Saturday with Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., as commencement speaker.
The ceremony came and went without any visible protests.
Friday’s student commencement speaker Marchelle Fletcher told her classmates to embrace the memories of accomplishments, quiet moments of self discovery and the laughter shared among friends during their time at Clayton State.
Fletcher, a student of Jamaican ancestry, said it is those moments that will make a lasting mark on the hearts of her fellow graduates.
”What truly defines us is the resilience, determination and unwavering spirit that has carried us through whatever challenge was in front of us,” said Fletcher, who graduated with a bachelor of science in psychology and human services and plans to be a second grade teacher for Clayton County Schools.
”Yes we faced setbacks and obstacles but we emerged stronger and more determined than ever before,” she said.
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