More than 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students will be recognized during Valdosta State University’s 225^th commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 4, and Saturday, May 5.

“Graduation is a defining moment in every student’s life,” said Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, president of VSU. “We are excited to pay tribute to the outstanding efforts of our spring graduates and celebrate education as the foundation upon which success is built. These students have had to overcome any number of challenges to reach this point in their life’s journey. It is that very perseverance that protects and nurtures Blazer Nation’s 100-plus-year-old tradition of academic, creative, athletic, research, and service excellence. This weekend we celebrate not an ending but the beginning of many great things to come.”  

The schedule of events is as follows:

• Dental Hygiene Pinning Ceremony

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences will host a Dental Hygiene Pinning Ceremony at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 4, in the Student Union Theatre.

• College of Nursing and Health Sciences Convocation

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences Convocation will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 4, in the Student Union Ballroom. Dr. Sheri Noviello, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, will lead the festivities, recognizing all the candidates for the Associate of Applied Science, Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training, Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Master of Science in Nursing. The nursing students will be pinned, and the master’s level students will be hooded.

• Graduate School Commencement Ceremony

The Graduate School Commencement Ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 4, in the P.E. Complex. Graduates will line up at 3:30 p.m. on the second floor of the facility. Guests unable to attend may view the ceremony live at www.valdosta.edu/commencement.

• Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Commissioning Ceremony

The Air Force ROTC Detachment 172 will conduct a commissioning ceremony at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, in the Student Union Ballroom.

• Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony

The Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, on the Front Lawn. Graduates will line up at 5:30 p.m. at Nevins Hall and the Hugh C. Bailey Science Center. President’s Award for Academic Excellence recipients, honor graduates, and commissioned Air Force ROTC cadets will be recognized, and every graduate in attendance will have his or her name called as they walk across the platform area in front of their fellow graduates, their faculty, and their family and friends. Amy Carter, deputy commissioner for rural Georgia at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, will deliver the keynote address. The celebration will end with a full fireworks display. Transportation will be provided from the university parking lots on Sustella Avenue and Oak Street. Students will be able to bring as many family and friends as they desire. Accessible parking and seating will be available. Guests unable to attend may view the ceremony live at www.valdosta.edu/commencement. 

Please visit http://www.valdosta.edu/administration/advancement/event-services/commencement/ for a complete who, what, where, when guide to VSU’s 225^th commencement ceremonies, including directions on where to park.