Watch the 2020 UNCG Virtual Commencement
Live Friday, December 11, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. and available thereafter
A Message From the Chancellor
Congratulations to the Class of 2020. I am incredibly proud of each and every one of you.
What a journey it has been since you arrived at UNC Greensboro whether as a first year, graduate, transfer, or online student. As individuals you’ve made lifelong friends, survived countless exams and papers (hopefully with a little help from Late Night Breakfast), and are earning a degree that will open doors for you. As a university community, we’ve grown – the 2020 class collectively is the largest class to ever graduate from UNCG. It is also one of our most academically excellent classes ever. You are made up of Phi Beta Kappa members, 30 members of this class have earned dual degrees, and more than 1,000 of you have earned cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude honors.
You are all the more impressive for accomplishing all of this during the pandemic. You persevered in the face of adversity. I personally do not know every obstacle, every impediment, nor every delay you have had to overcome to reach this point, but I do know this: You are second to none. You, this class from May, August, and December 2020, have demonstrated a kind of determination and persistence that will get you through life’s biggest challenges. You have shown tremendous resilience and the kind of compassion and sense of community that speaks well to our collective character – the character of the UNC Greensboro family.
As you progress from students to join a community of more than 132,000 UNCG alumni worldwide, know that the entire Spartan family celebrates your earned achievement with unabashed pride and enormous joy. Congratulations!
Warmest wishes,
Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.
Chancellor
Spotlight on the Class of 2020
Amanda Stewart
Senior Amanda Stewart had just returned from an unforgettable weekend at the Southern Conference Basketball Championships in Asheville.
As co-captain of the Spartan G’s Dance Team, she had spent the weekend performing, cheering on the Spartans, and hyping up the crowd.
Kyle Booker
For graduating master’s student Kyle Booker, the study of public history and historical resources is both looking back and looking forward.
“Figuring out who we used to be was a really big deal to me,” says. History has been transformative for him, in growing personally, in connecting him with people and their legacies, and in showing him how he can be a part of community growth.
Booker grew up in western North Carolina, in Asheville, where he visited the Biltmore Estate at least once a year. His father led tours on occasion and as a family they not only marveled at the majesty of the grounds and buildings but also contemplated the difficult moments in the history of the estate.
Irvin Maldonado
Picture this. An art major is working away on his photography project when suddenly a pandemic strikes. As his University moves fully online for social distancing, he has to return home and find a way to continue his coursework and art practice remotely.
UNC Greensboro senior Irvin Maldonado had to do just that.
“I usually need the lighting studio on campus. But I’ve shifted my approach to just going outside and video recording or photographing in my backyard,” he says.
Maldonado, part of the Class of 2020, is one of many students who have had to respond quickly to a changed world, and charge ahead with their coursework and artmaking. It hasn’t been easy, and there are challenges.