The University of Georgia Griffin campus held a Brick Ceremony for the Spring 2021 undergraduate students on Thursday, May 13 at the Naomi Chapman Woodroof Agricultural Pavilion. This event is special to the Griffin campus, with each graduate receiving a brick, featuring their name and class year, to be placed on the floor of the pavilion where it will remain for all time.
For the undergraduate ceremony, Dericka Pruitt, who received her Bachelor of Arts from UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, served as the student speaker. Pruitt was nominated and selected by UGA faculty and staff to be recognized.
She spoke to the crowd about the perseverance she and her fellow classmates demonstrated, noting this was one of the first major steps they would take in the journey of their lives.
“It should be recognized that we did not let the challenges of a pandemic keep us from going forward in our education or our daily lives. We continued to have smiles on our faces and cope with this new challenge,” said Pruitt.
She also added that while she and her classmates all come from different families, they are all now banded together as alumni of UGA.
“All of us came from different backgrounds when we first stepped foot on this campus,” said Pruitt. “Well today, we are leaving as one proud student body of the University of Georgia Griffin campus.”
There were 11 students receiving their undergraduate degree this semester. From the College of Family and Consumer Sciences receiving a Bachelor of Science are Isabel Rutledge, Melissa Slaughter and Jessica Thomas. From the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences receiving a Bachelor of Arts are Hayley Biles, Jennifer Lunsford, and Dericka Pruitt. From the Mary Frances Early College of Education receiving a Bachelor of Science in Education is Haleigh Fenley. From the Terry College of Business receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration are Dusty Burnham, Timothy Davis, Jackson Edwards and Isabel Rutledge.
Dr. Chrystal McDowell, Assistant Director of Student Affairs for UGA Griffin, wished all of the graduates well and congratulated them on their accomplishments.
“You made it. Job very well done,” said McDowell. “Congratulations from all of us and as always, go Dawgs!”