For more than 850 graduates in Georgia Gwinnett College’s Spring 2026 class, May 15 was a day of celebration as they marked their accomplishments and reveled in the excitement of receiving their hard-earned diplomas during two ceremonies in the college’s Convocation Center.
Before graduates crossed the stage, GGC president Dr. Jann L. Joseph offered words of reflection inspired by a recent question from a student who asked what advice she would give her younger self.
Her response included simple but powerful reminders: be more present in your youth, seek meaningful ways to spend your time, stay curious, be kind and nurture the best parts of who you are.
“As you step away from GGC, always remember the skills, perseverance and resilience that you brought to this moment,” she said.
For Rubye Wilburn Neal, her years have been spent expanding opportunity, preserving history and serving others. Her lifetime of work, Joseph said, reflects the values of education, public good, unity and historical preservation that GGC seeks to instill in its graduates, earning her an honorary bachelor’s degree in education. Neal is only the second person in the college’s history to receive the distinction.
A graduate of the historic Hooper-Renwick School, the first African American high school in Gwinnett County, Neal continued her education at Clark Atlanta University and Fort Valley State University. Her work was instrumental in preserving the school’s legacy through the Hooper-Renwick Themed Library, the first themed library of its kind in the Southeast.
The morning ceremony featured student speaker Avanti Moore, a Lawrenceville native who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health science with a concentration in public health.
“Be inspired by the work you have accomplished here at GGC,” she said. “And live the four pillars it has given us — scholarship, leadership, service and creativity.”
The afternoon ceremony featured student speaker Enna Lackey, a Springfield, Georgia, native who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in international relations and a minor in criminal justice. She also competed on GGC’s softball team and served as a cadet in ROTC.
One of her guiding principles, she said, is to challenge yourself.
“Challenging yourself means actively stepping out of your comfort zone to pursue higher goals and pushing yourself to your limits,” she said. “I am a strong believer in doing things that make you feel good, better and eventually great.”
Keynote speaker Kelley Balkcom, who grew up in Gwinnett County and is the metro north region executive at Georgia Power Company, talked about how the journey to graduation helped build the tools the world needs.
“The world you are graduating into is not simple—but it is full of opportunity,” she said. “It needs people who can think critically and act compassionately. People who understand that teamwork is not optional. People who know progress is powered by persistence. It needs people like you.”
As tassels were turned and cheers filled the air, the Spring 2026 commencement ceremonies marked not just the end of an academic journey, but the beginning of new chapters for GGC’s graduates. Armed with the knowledge, resilience and determination they cultivated at Georgia Gwinnett College, they now leave campus prepared to make their mark in their communities, careers and beyond.
Fast Facts about the GGC Spring 2026 graduating class:
- Number of graduates: 862
- Number of students graduating with academic honors: 290 (33.6%)
- Number of graduates commissioning into the US Army as 2nd Lieutenant: 5
- First-generation graduates: 26%
- Top 10 majors: business administration, information technology, psychology, biology, cinema and media arts production, nursing, elementary education, criminal justice, health science
View and download spring 2026 commencement images and b-roll.