It’s that time again. UNC Greensboro has conferred nearly 2,000 graduates and presented them to serve the world with their knowledge and experience. It’s a rite of passage that is celebrated with pomp and circumstance, handshakes and embraces, pride and gratitude.
The tenacity of each individual graduate deserves the celebration this campus has witnessed yet again. Within each ceremony and gathering of Class of 2024 graduates, an appreciation for community rose above all else.
At UNCG, commencement not only honors each student’s achievement, but also the families that raised them, the Spartan family that guided and shared their collegiate experience, and the communities that they have been educated to serve.
Celebrating Creators of New Knowledge
December 2024 Commencement ceremonies began on December 11 with the conferring of 137 students at the doctoral hooding ceremony in the UNCG Auditorium. At the doctoral ceremonies, graduates line up to meet their advisors, who drape the traditional doctoral hood over their shoulders.
The personal connections shared by teacher and student heightened the emotion of the ceremony, as professors welcomed the new doctors into their ranks, a community that Chancellor Gilliam hailed as “creators of new knowledge” who are “leaders and trusted sources.”
Keynote speaker and professor emerita of the School of Music, Dr. Connie McKoy, addressed the graduates as a respected member of the UNCG family: “As you leave today, I hope you carry with you the spirit of this place: a place that values inclusivity, fosters innovation, and believes in the power of education to improve lives. Your accomplishments here will ripple out into the world affecting fields of discipline, communities, and individuals in ways you may never fully realize.”
McKoy spoke from experience, having received both her master of music in music education and her Ph.D. in music education from UNCG. Named a Distinguished Alumni in 2017, McKoy has been a music educator for 45 years and presents nationally and internationally in her area of expertise, culturally responsive pedagogy in music.
Another musician, Maestro William Henry Curry, received the first hood. UNCG bestowed an honorary degree of letters to Curry for his contributions as an orchestra conductor, composer, teacher and mentor.
After leading major orchestras in engagements all over the world, he served as the Durham Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director and Conductor, becoming the first African American conductor to hold a music directorship in the American South. Curry has worked with a range of artists including Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett, and won various awards for his compositions, in addition to receiving a Grammy nomination for conducting Anthony Davis’ opera, “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X.” The Spartan family is proud to include Curry among our decorated doctors.
Sharing Love and Leadership
On December 12, nearly 1500 undergraduates and 362 master’s graduates crossed the stage of the newly named First Horizon Coliseum. Again, themes of community dominated the remarks as the proud graduates waved to their families in the audience and embraced their peers.
Marketing major Cailyn Stackhouse was the student speaker. A scholar and Student Government Association leader, Stackhouse praised UNCG as a community “where we found our purpose, made meaningful connections, and grew into who we’re meant to be.”
Referencing her involvement in campus activities and Spartan Service Days, she declared, “The love and energy we give to our community come back to us in unexpected ways. Love, like leadership and growth, becomes real when you share it.”
Noting the diversity of the Class of 2024 and the impact they will have on their future communities, Chancellor Gilliam asked the audience to look at the varied backgrounds and ethnicities represented among the graduates.
“You are the future of this country,” he said. “The world needs your leadership. Our fractured society needs your ability to adapt and your ideas to bridge our divides.”
Thanks to the support of their families, the guidance of our faculty, and the network of UNCG alumni, this is a challenge that the Spartan class of 2024 is ready to face.
Stackhouse spoke for her class with her closing words, “Let’s continue to be bold, brave, and true to ourselves as we step into the future. Go be you!”
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications.
