life, i think that you may begin to see why this homecoming for me is so meaningful and emotional. but i also hope that you can see what this story should mean to you. it means that whoever you are, wherever you come from, and whatever anyone has ever said about you or your capabilities, you can be anything and anyone you want to be. if you wonder what the future holds for someone like you, someone educated here in a small town in georgia, who then makes their way in the world : i am here today to tell you that where you come from and have been is not necessarily where you are going, and that the possibilities are endless. georgia college and state university has prepared you bobcats well. you will only be limited by your motivation, preparation, and imagination. oh, the places you'll go, and the things you'll do, gcsu class of 2024! your family, friends, former professors, your community, and i cannot wait to see it all and are cheering you on. huge congratulations, again! thank you. 4 / 4 bis - central bankers'speeches

fairs that were supported by gcsu and sometimes judged by its faculty. we also learned a lot from students at georgia college. we were especially sponges in the presence of the international students, so far from home, whom my mother advised and whom my parents took a special interest in and often invited to church at flagg chapel and to our house for sunday dinner. these students brought the world to us. my sisters and i will also forever be grateful to another group of students, our gcsu babysitters, who were critical in promoting scholastic achievement while exposing us to popular culture, which we had little access to at home. they smuggled in music by earth, wind, and fire, teddy pendergrass, and other artists, rescuing the cook girls from being seen as complete nerds. something else that brought the world to me was the gcsu library, and its amazing librarians, who could assist a curious girl who always had more questions. around my house, many questions from the pesky kids were met with, " ask your mom ", or " ask your dad. " and, if my parents did not know the answer, they said " ask the encyclopedia or the librarian ( at georgia college )! " the librarians and archivists took special pride in preserving the legacy of renowned author flannery o'connor, a resident of milledgeville and 1945 graduate of georgia college for women, as it was known then. i remember walking by an exhibit displaying some part of the o'connor archives each time i visited the library. the georgia college community introduced us to the world in many other ways. allied arts, the local arts - presenting organization, partnered with the university to bring world renowned dance, theater, and music performances, as well as the visual arts, to the college community and the town. betty snyder, whom some faculty and staff might remember, was the indefatigable force and immense talent leading allied arts at the time. her daughter, genie snyder chamberlain, is with us today. the national arts program of the public service organization delta sigma theta sorority also partnered with my mother and the college to bring well - and little - known history makers to campus. in the seventh grade, i was afforded the transformative opportunity as a 2 / 4 bis - central bankers'speeches student journalist to interview three of these figures - poet nikki giovanni ; rosey grier, the actor, football star, and entrepreneur ; and olympian and