NW Valley Times

Graduates from 2022 and 2023 from Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Alabama attended the Office of Alumni Relations' first on-the-road graduation celebration in Atlanta. Ebony Plummer, a teacher from Fayetteville, North Carolina, who earned her master’s degree in elementary and special education in December, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to celebrate her achievement closer to home. Plummer, who drove almost six hours to attend the event, shared, “I didn’t get a chance to make it to (Phoenix for) graduation. So it just meant a lot. I worked so hard.”

The idea for these on-the-road graduation celebrations stemmed from recognizing a gap in attendance at the traditional Commencement ceremonies held in Phoenix. Kaitlyn Nicol, Alumni Relations Assistant Director, explained, “We saw there was a big gap of those who couldn’t come. And then when we do our Lopes on the Road events, we hear a lot of the grads say, I wish I could come to Phoenix, but we have this, this or this. So we decided, why wouldn’t we do something to celebrate them where they are?”

The logistics of planning the Atlanta graduation celebration were challenging, but the effort was deemed worthwhile by the Alumni Relations team. Nicole Johnson, Alumni Relations Marketing and Communications Specialist, recalled a touching moment at the event where a mother and daughter who earned their degrees at the same time brought tears to everyone's eyes. Johnson noted, “They were so excited to wear them. It was definitely a big family affair.”

The event not only included a graduation celebration but also a Lopes on the Road event at the Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings game. This gathering provided graduates with their first official alumni experience. Ebony Plummer, reflecting on the game, said, “The game was awesome. It was my first NFL game. I loved it!”

Kaitlyn Nicol emphasized the importance of these alumni events in fostering a sense of community among GCU graduates, whether they studied on campus or online. She stated, “What’s at the heart of these alumni events is making Lopes feel like they’re forever part of the GCU family.” Nicol highlighted the significance of the physical presence of the Alumni Relations team in legitimizing the University and building a strong GCU community.

Looking ahead, the Alumni Relations office aims to organize more graduation celebrations for alumni based on the positive impact of the Atlanta event. Kaitlyn Nicol found true joy in witnessing the excitement of graduates finally having their moment of celebration after working hard for their degrees. She said, “It made me tear up at some points because people were so excited to finally have that moment.”