Highlander Graduates Move Forward at Spring 2025 Commencement
By Karolina Philmon, GSC marketing manager
On Friday, May 16, Gordon State College held its Spring 2025 Commencement ceremony honoring 290 graduates from The School of Business and Professional Studies (BPS); The School of Nursing, Health, and STEM (NHS); and The School of Education, Arts, and Humanities (EAH).
“Graduates, you’ve reached an incredible milestone. Earning your college degree is more than a personal achievement,” said Dr. Donald J. Green, GSC president. “It is a step that opens doors, empowers families, and shapes communities. Your dedication, perseverance, and vision for the future have brought you here today. Congratulations on this life-changing accomplishment.”
A total of 294 baccalaureate and associate degrees were awarded to graduates from across the region, marking a continued increase from last spring’s commencement.
President Green recognized several graduates who took unique paths to reach this milestone. “Not every student takes the same course to and through a degree,” he said. “These students didn’t start in the same place, but they have all persevered in their goals. Their passion has brought them to this moment as degree recipients, ready for the next opportunity in their life.”
Among those recognized was Kaylan Dawson of Upson County, who first attended GSC as a dual enrollment student during her senior year of high school. That same year, her father was in a car accident, and she made the decision to stay close to home to help with his recovery.
As she entered the teacher education program, Dawson discovered the college’s Paraprofessional-to-Teacher (P2T) pathway. The program allows paraprofessionals working in schools across Georgia to complete their education online and become certified teachers.
While attending Gordon State, Dawson was able to complete college at no cost through dual enrollment, earn an income as a parapro, and ultimately transition into a full-time teaching role.
“While my friends are moving home, back in with their parents, and looking for a job, I just purchased my own home and I am fully employed,” Dawson said.
President Green also shared stories of Erin Lopez-Rios of Henry County, who earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing; Renay Brown of Butts County, who earned a Bachelor of Science in biology; and Amanda Zavala of Lamar County, who earned a Bachelor of Science in human services and an Associate of Science in criminal justice.
As part of tradition, each GSC commencement includes a graduating student selected to speak on behalf of the class. This year’s speaker was Earnest Lewis of Henry County. He opened his address by stating, “If there’s anything you need to know about me, it’s this one thing. My fellow classmates, I am a failure.” Lewis continued by reflecting on how his experiences helped him redefine the meaning of failure.
“We tend to think of failure as this horrible monster that we want to avoid at all costs. But it’s that avoidance that causes more trouble than needed,” Lewis said. “You see, hidden within every failure is a new puzzle piece to be added onto your game of life. We must acknowledge the coexistence of success and failure. Because, without failure, success will be near unrecognizable, and without success, we will never understand the value that failure provides.”
The School of BPS awarded 35 baccalaureate degrees and 36 associate degrees, totaling 71 graduates. The School of EAH awarded 68 baccalaureate degrees and 49 associate degrees to 117 graduates, while the School of NHS awarded 29 baccalaureate degrees and 77 associate degrees to 106 graduates.
Four graduates were presented with multiple degrees.
Before the ceremony concluded, alumnus Thomas "Tog" Goss, chief operating officer at Atrium Health Navicent in Baldwin, took the stage to share how his time at Highlander Nation shaped the resilience and dedication that carried him from newly licensed nurse to healthcare executive.
“Like many of you, my path to this moment wasn’t traditional. My journey has been filled with transformative experiences that shaped not only my career but also my character,” Goss said. “This progression is a testament to the power of determination, lifelong learning, and the strong foundation I built right here at Gordon. The Highlander spirit is built on courage, resilience, and ambition. Remember, it’s not about where you started. What matters is that you started, and starting at [GSC] means you are ready to go anywhere.”
Two additional ceremonies followed commencement, starting with the presentation of the Book and Bell to the spring 2025 EAH graduates. This traditional ceremony dates to the 19th century. Each GSC education graduate received a school bell and a McGuffey’s Reader, the two tools most used by teachers from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century.
Following Book and Bell, spring 2025 NHS graduates were honored in a separate Pinning Ceremony marking their official entrance into the nursing profession. Historians trace the tradition of the nursing pin back to the Crusades of the 12th century, and in the 1860s, Florence Nightingale adopted the practice of presenting a medal of excellence to her hardest working nursing graduates. By 1916, it became standard in the United States to award each nursing graduate with a pin during a special ceremony.