Tribute to ALEC Spring and Summer 2020 Graduates

UGA Class of 2020,

Where do we begin? When you arrived in Athens or Tifton to begin your UGA journey, you entered a community of over 30,000 students with no idea where any of your classes were, who anyone was, and terrified you would get on the wrong bus. You quickly realized that life as you knew it was over, and it was time to become a Georgia Bulldog. You may not have known all that meant at the time, but today, as you prepare to close this chapter of your life, we have no doubt you know exactly what it means.

You are intentional. You are the student who wakes up and goes to class because you are here to prepare yourself for your future. You are here to learn who you are and how to surpass the limits previously set. You will not let fear or lies keep you from making strides towards your success because you are a Georgia Bulldog.

You are courageous. You are the one who stands up in front of a 300-student lecture and crushes a project presentation. You are the one who went up to a stranger freshman year and made them feel loved and welcomed here on campus. You are the one who stepped out of your comfort zone and joined a club on campus where you found your lifelong friends. You are a Georgia Bulldog.

You are brilliant. You did not let one bad grade discourage you. You spent hours studying for an exam that made you more nervous than you had ever been. You are the one who applied for scholarships and helped your friends with their homework. You know that you are never done learning and you are excited to face a new challenge any day. You are a Georgia Bulldog.

You are You. A tutor, a student athlete, a bus driver, a dining hall worker, a club leader, a student worker, a persistent, confident, intentional, courageous, brilliant, loud, obnoxious Georgia Bulldog.

So, congratulations on becoming a Georgia Bulldog, but know that the challenge doesn’t end here. Go out into the world and keep on turning your ideas into realities. Never stop looking for inspiration. Show your future bosses and coworkers what it looks like to never give up and work with joy in all you do.

You are a Georgia Bulldog, and we couldn’t be more proud of you.

Love Always and Go Dawgs,

The UGA ALEC Family

Video & Tribute by Mary Beth Mallard