A total of 709 students at Griffin Tech graduated with diplomas and associate degrees during fiscal year 2010, and 330 of those students attended the ceremony in their gowns and caps, leaving the church packed and some guests sitting along the aisles or outside the main sanctuary.
The speakers of the evening had nothing but praise for the students who were about to be handed their graduation certificate.
“Each one of you made a conscious decision to make a positive change in your life. We are very proud of you for what you have done,” said Michael Brewer, chairman of the Griffin Technical College board of directors. “You have an opportunity now that you didn’t have before. We know that when you leave here tonight, you’ll leave not just with a piece of paper, but you’ll leave with a future.”
Brewer also reminded graduates and guests in the audience that there was something special about this year’s commencement ceremony.
“You are the last class to graduate from this school,” he said, referring to Griffin Tech officially becoming Southern Crescent Technical College on July 1. “The sun is about to set on Griffin Tech, and the sun will rise on Southern Crescent.”
The commencement address of the night was delivered by outgoing State School Superintendent Kathy Cox, who recently announced her resignation from her position to become chief executive officer of the U.S. Education Delivery Institute.
“The lesson tonight is: Never stop. Never stop learning. Never stop pursuing excellence for yourself and your family,” Cox said. “We have enough people out there who are timid and afraid. We need people who are bold and unafraid. I hope that you take with you what it feels like to dare greatly.”
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