“A class that Georgetown will forever be proud of. … Georgetown’s Class of 2024!”
Cheers and whoops filled the tent on May 16 as Provost Robert Groves announced this year’s graduates, who gathered for the first time as a class to celebrate their graduation.
The cheer-filled senior convocation marked the official start of graduation. From May 16-19, through sun and rain, the university conferred 6,252 degrees to undergraduate and graduate students.
“Members of the Georgetown Class of 2024, your moment is at hand. Congratulations!” Georgetown President John J. DeGioia said at convocation.
Photos by Elman Studio.
Each of Georgetown’s 10 schools celebrated individual commencement ceremonies over the weekend, featuring commencement speakers like Norah O’Donnell (C’95, G’03), CBS Evening News managing editor and anchor; Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN chief medical correspondent and host of the CNN podcast Chasing Life; and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization.
“I know that I wouldn’t be who I am today without Georgetown University,” Alumna O’Donnell said to the School of Continuing Studies graduates. “It never gets old. The grandeur of Healy Hall, this beautiful university in the middle of the most important city in the world — what a privilege, what an honor, what an opportunity for each of you graduates as you take the next step in your journey.”
(From left to right) Norah O’Donnell (C’95, G’03), CBS Evening News managing editor and anchor; Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN chief medical correspondent; and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization. Photos by Elman Studio.
Photo by Elman Studio.
Hoyas Who Persevered
After starting Georgetown virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Class of 2024 ended their academic careers with a slew of record-shattering accomplishments.
“No class in recent history has faced the challenges you faced,” he said at senior convocation. “None is to be more warmly praised for what you have achieved. It is a class that Georgetown will forever be proud of.”
Photos by Elman Studio.
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Senior Convocation at Graduation
Undergraduates at senior convocation on May 16 carry the flags their classmates represent.
Undergraduates in the Class of 2024 donned caps and gowns and belted out “Hoya! Saxa! at their senior convocation on May 16.
The class represented 49 states and 63 countries, with the youngest student graduating at age 20 and the oldest at age 44.
Together, the class completed almost 71,000 courses and nearly 172,000 credit hours.
The convocation began with a prayer from Chloe Schneider (C’24), president of the Georgetown University Jewish Student Association, and ended with a benediction from Ammar Hussain (SFS’24), former director of operations and management for Georgetown’s Office of Muslim Life.
Two students were chosen for their academic accomplishments to speak to the class: Vicka Heidt (C’24), a senior who won a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and Asma Shakeel, SFS-Q’24, a senior at Georgetown University in Qatar who won a Rhodes Scholarship. Shakeel attended the ceremony but was unable to speak due to an illness.
Vicka Heidt (C’24), a gradute who won a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, gave a reflection to her class at senior convocation.
Heidt, who has served as a caregiver for family members throughout her college career, spoke about the people past and present who have helped her class reach this point.
“While it will only be your name on your diploma, I ask that you think about the invisible names who uplifted you and helped you get to this day,” she said.
“The contemplation in action that is centered at Georgetown and your connection to Georgetown does not end when you walk out of those front gates. Ask yourself, how can you be the person that helps someone across that stage or this stage in the future?”
Adan Gonzalez (C’15), a former White House Fellow and founder of the nonprofit, Puede Network, gave the alumni convocation address.
Alumnus Adan Gonzalez (C’15), a former White House Fellow and founder and executive director of the youth empowerment nonprofit, Puede Network, gave the alumni convocation address. Gonzalez shared his story of arriving at Georgetown with his clothes in trash bags, meeting people who believed in his potential, and helping others along the way.
“We can all leverage our own circles and communities to find solutions. My calling is empowering others through education. But there are many worthy causes. Our role starts in our communities. By serving as stewards to help others discover their own abilities,” he said. “Communities that need help don’t want to be saved tomorrow. They want to be empowered today.”
Celebrating Hoya Communities
Georgetown’s ceremonies were not limited to granting academic degrees. Over the month of May, the university also celebrated its communities.
Amy Kenny (center) director of the Disability Cultural Center, poses with students at the second DisCo Grad, a ceremony that recognizes the disability community and the Class of 2024.
On April 24, the LGBTQ Resource Center hosted Lavender Graduation to celebrate the achievements, contributions and experiences of LGBTQ+ undergraduate and graduate students.
In the last ceremony of the weekend, the Law Center’s, the president closed commencement with these words:
“As you reach this next stage, you carry this community, this way of life, with you,” DeGioia said in the last ceremony of the weekend. “May this be a source of consolation for you. May you always be reminded of your membership, here, in this university community.”
Photo by Elman Studio.
Meet the Class of 2024
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Meet the Class of 2024
“I’m feeling amazing. My whole family’s here from India. You work five years alone with your advisor, and at the end of it you get to celebrate with a lot of people. I feel proud that I can show them that. It feels like now I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.”
Anwita Mahajan (G’24), who’s graduating with her Ph.D. in economics from the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
“Today is a stepping stone in my life. Coming from Lebanon, I knew I wanted to challenge myself and I knew Georgetown would be that place for me. Today I accomplished that, and I’m very proud of myself for it.”
Zina Yassine (L’24)
“I’m grateful for a community that not only sees my potential but challenges me and always offers a helping hand along the way.”
Hai Nguyen (SFS’23, MSFS’24)
“It’s a bittersweet feeling; it’s the end of an experience that has meant a lot to all of us, but it’s also sweet because we’re looking forward to a very promising future.”
Jeffery Garner (MBA’24)
“I’m really excited about graduation. Especially as a first-generation student, it’s an achievement not only for me but also for my family and the people before me. So I’m really grateful to even have this opportunity to graduate from Georgetown.”
Ariel Le (H’24)
“Instead of succumbing to despair, our community came together with resilience and determination. Despite the limitations of the pandemic, we found creative ways to continue our medical education and serve our community…. Although our experiences were unique, we weren’t deprived of the quintessential Georgetown medical journey.”
Paul Henderson (M’24)
“The contemplation in action that is centered at Georgetown and your connection to Georgetown does not end when you walk out of those front gates. Ask yourself, how can you be the person that helps someone across that stage or this stage in the future?”
Vicka Heidt (C’24)
“One of the greatest things about liberal studies is that it requires you to think in an interdisciplinary way. So you’re not just thinking about the economic influences or the sociological influences or the historic background, but you’re thinking about all those things together. So as a person running a national organization, those are considerations I need to have at the forefront all the time.”
Jennifer Kluge (G’24), graduating with her Doctor of Liberal Studies from the School of Continuing Studies
“As a Bradley Fellow, I expanded my global perspective through academic rigor, collaborative projects with peers and unique leader development opportunities. I am undoubtedly empowered and equipped to shape policy solutions and catalyze positive change as I advance in my career. Celebrating the profound journey thus far, I stand poised and eager to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Ephesian Poinsette (G’24), a graduate of the McCourt School of Public Policy
“I feel like if you sit a lot of new nurse practitioners in a room, the Georgetown graduates really stand out. I feel really prepared and I’m glad I chose Georgetown.”
Kayla Zmayefski (G’24), (left) who graduated from the School of Nursing
Fellowship and Scholarship Recipients
Georgetown’s Class of 2024 accumulated numerous awards and prestigious scholarships across their years, including:
Students in the Class of 2024 represent 50 states and DC and 130 countries.
Each of Georgetown’s schools welcomed new graduates to an alumni community of more than 200,000 Hoyas.
The McCourt School of Public Policy celebrated 300 graduates:
161 masters of public policy;
47 masters in public management;
14 masters in international development policy;
29 masters of science in data science for public policy;
The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences conferred 414 degrees, including:
52 new Ph.D. holders;
141 masters of arts in the humanities and social sciences;
221 masters of science in the natural and computational sciences;
418 students from the Biomedical Graduate Education also received their degrees during the ceremony, including 48 doctor of philosophy degrees; 16 executive master’s in clinical quality, safety and leadership; 353 masters of science; and one master of arts.
The McDonough School of Business graduated conferred 1,255 degrees to 356 undergraduates and 899 graduate students, including
338 bachelor of science in business administration and 18 bachelor of science in business and global affairs;
347 MBAs;
55 executive MBAs;
18 executive masters in leadership;
169 masters of science in finance;
132 masters of science in management;
40 masters of arts in international business and policy;
100 masters of science in business analytics;
38 master of science in global real assets
The School of Continuing Studies conferred 1,112 degrees, including:
1,063 master of professional studies;
20 executive master of professional studies;
8 master of arts in liberal studies;
6 doctor of liberal studies;
15 bachelor of arts in liberal studies.
The Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences conferred 851 degrees, including:
662 bachelor of arts;
189 bachelor of science.
The School of Nursing celebrated 369 students, including
24 bachelors of science;
277 masters of science;
69 doctoral degrees.
The School of Health conferred 104 degrees, including
27 bachelors of science in global health;
30 bachelors of science in health care management and policy;
36 bachelors of science in human science;
11 masters of science in health systems administration.
The Walsh School of Foreign Service graduated 856 students, including:
438 bachelors of science in foreign service
267 masters of arts in security studies
136 masters of science in foreign service
21 masters of arts in Latin American Studies
21 masters of arts in German and European Studies
20 masters of arts in Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies
27 masters of arts in Arab Studies
The School of Medicine conferred 174 degrees, including
166 doctors of medicine;
8 students who received a dual degree with either an MD/Ph.D. or MD/MPH.
Georgetown Law awarded 1,259 degrees, including:
672 earned their J.D;
579 earned their masters of law;
5 earned their doctor of juridical science
In its May 9 commencement ceremony, Georgetown University in Qatar conferred 140 degrees, including
119 bachelors of science in foreign service;
21 executive masters in diplomacy and international affairs.
