1,200 graduates honored at spring commencement

The University of North Georgia (UNG) honored more than 1,200 spring graduates in commencement ceremonies on May 5-6 in the Convocation Center at UNG's Dahlonega Campus. This also included a ceremony only for students earning graduate degrees.

UNG also had 40 graduates take their oath of office and commission as second lieutenants in the Army, Georgia Army National Guard and Army Reserve in individual ceremonies May 4-5. UNG is one of only six senior military colleges in the United States and is designated as the Military College of Georgia.

The keynote speaker for all four ceremonies was UNG President Bonita Jacobs, who will be retiring next month. Her address highlighted UNG’s aims in providing the world with quality leaders.

"We have held fast to the commitment to education excellence, student success and leadership development as hallmarks for the UNG experience," Jacobs said. "In addition to gaining the knowledge you need to enter your career or to continue your education, you have developed the skills, character and perseverance to lead."

Allison Naidoo, from Bronx, New York, earned a master's degree in human services delivery and administration. Naidoo currently works in Nighthawk Engagement & Student Transitions (NEST) as a transfer recruiter at UNG. She plans to apply for her doctorate, which will be her third UNG degree.

Naidoo, who started her undergraduate education on the Oconee Campus, went on to complete her degree in a hybrid program in Gainesville. Inspired by her late Guyanese parents, Naidoo believes in the importance of education and sharing one's voice.  She served as the Oconee Campus Student Government Association president, using her platform to voice the opinions of students on campus.

"I love UNG and I will forever be a Nighthawk. I know for a fact that I want to continue getting my education here because of the great atmosphere and the people I have met," Naidoo said.

Ramiro Ferreyra Salgado earned degrees in physics and cybersecurity. Originally from Chiquimitio, Mexico, Ferreyra Salgado is taking part in the 2023 U.S. Department of Energy Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships program at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, over the summer researching superconductors.

Inspired by his professor Dr. Sarah Formica, Ferreyra Salgado wants to go into teaching after completing graduate school. He is currently considering applying to programs to teach English in Spain to start his dream of educating the next generation.

Cali Weed graduated with a degree in kinesiology, and her father Philip Weed earned his second bachelor's degree from UNG, this one in cybersecurity. Philip Weed, originally from San Jose, California, came to UNG before his daughter in 2018 and earned a degree in modern languages with an Arabic language and literature concentration after meeting Dr. Juman Al Bukhari, associate professor of Arabic.  Three years later, Cali Weed fell in love with the Dahlonega Campus and transferred from Athens Technical College.

Both Weeds are fond of learning languages and hope to use them to help people in their respective fields. As a nontraditional student, Philip Weed has prior experience in the Air Force and comes from a national security background.  He plans to continue that work from a cybersecurity perspective. Cali Weed aspires to work in physical therapy after completing graduate school, and her dad was a patient of hers in her exercise therapy course. She hopes to tailor her career around mission work.

"My faith is a huge part of my life," Cali Weed said. "The end goal is becoming someone who can help people. People are what inspire me to get up and get moving."

UNG holds commencement ceremonies at the end of spring, summer and fall semesters, awarding about 3,000 degrees and commissioning more than 100 officers annually.