Savannah State celebrates 200th commencement ceremony

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTGS) — The students of Savannah State University and their loved ones packed the school's stadium for the 200th commencement ceremony on Friday.

Georgia's oldest historically black university celebrated 132 years of graduates, with over 300 walking across the stage.

Corey Straughter is a high school senior who went through the dual enrollment program to receive his college degree before his diploma.

Straughter said that the transition in coursework was hard to get used to, but he is proud to have taken more classes and overcome the immense workload.

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"I've realized if I wanted to get my associates, I cant do two per semester. It's not really going to work, so I had to up it to almost five or six at a time," Straughter said. "So after that, it got a little challenging to say the least, but it worked out for me, in the end, I'd say."

Straughter added that he received a full-ride scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta and a generous scholarship to UGA, but has yet to decide his next move.

He said that he is proud he chose Savannah State because it is a family tradition.

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"Graduating from this university, I'm a legacy my grandmother graduated from here my late great grandmother she passed just recently she graduated from here too. Everybody knows, I swear everybody in Savannah has a Savannah State degree, so it means a lot to me to get one too and kind of be a part of the club," Straughter said.

Christian Hill is the current Mr. Savannah State, and he said he is proud to finish his college experience with his late grandmother in mind with her picture attached to his graduation cap.

Hill said that although the COVID-19 pandemic posed some severe roadblocks in his academic journey, he is relieved to be finished and enter the workforce as a college graduate.

"It was definitely a lot of hard work, time, effort, sleepless nights, Hill said. "With the pandemic, we had to readjust to going fully online and then back to in-person, so it was definitely a trial, but I'm glad I've made it to this point," Hill said.

Savannah State officials said they are excited to see the class of 2022 graduate and both students and faculty agree that the best is yet to come when it comes to their future.