Georgetown Graduates Thousands Of Students During Commencement 2018

May 21, 2018 – The university graduated more than 6,000 students during Commencement Weekend, May 17-20, at Georgetown.

“Today we celebrate this journey that you’ve made, and we celebrate the one on which you’re about to embark,” President John J. DeGioia told more than 1,700 undergraduate students Thursday afternoon at Senior Convocation, the weekend’s kickoff event. “This is an extraordinary moment in your lives – there is nothing else quite like this moment. I encourage you to cherish it – cherish those around you here in this room – to reflect on all that you have achieved together – all that it means to have lived these years here on this Hilltop and trust in the person that each of you have become.”

Graduation ceremonies began Thursday afternoon with Senior Convocation and ended with the School of Medicine and Georgetown Law ceremonies on Sunday morning and afternoon.

The graduating seniors, who hail from all 50 states and 55 other nations, marched together in the processional May 17 for Senior Convocation in McDonough Arena, where they began their journey four years earlier at New Student Convocation.

Cristine Pedersen (SFS’18), of Portland, Oregon, who served two terms as president of the Georgetown University Student Veterans Association (GUVSA), spoke at the event along with Daniel Wassim (SFS’18), an ordained deacon in the Presbyterian Church from Bismarck, North Dakota.

Pamela Nwaoko (C’10), a lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Washington, D.C., served as keynote speaker for Senior Convocation.

The Class of 2018 received more than $122 million in scholarship support from Georgetown and won competitive graduate fellowships, including:

  • 19 Fulbright scholarships
  • 8 Gilman Scholarships
  • 2 Marshall Scholarships
  • 2 Truman Scholarships
  • 2 Critical Language Scholarships
  • 2 Rangel Fellowships
  • 2 Boren Scholarships
  • 1 Gates Cambridge Scholarship
  • 1 Carnegie Gaither Fellow
  • 1  Allbritton Scholarship
  • 1 Udall Scholarship

The youngest graduating senior this year is 20, while the eldest is 81.

Octogenarian Carlos Manuel Sera, who withdrew from Georgetown in the late 1950s because of the Cuban Revolution, completed his last four credits this year and received his bachelor’s degree from the McDonough School of Business on Friday.

The following schools welcomed graduating students to join the more than 190,000 Georgetown alumni:
 

  • The McCourt School of Public Policy graduated a total of 178 students during their Thursday commencement ceremony – including 116 Masters in Public Policy students, 42 students in the Masters in the Public Management program and 20 students who earned Masters in International Development Policy.
  • About 700 graduates received their degrees during the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony Friday morning, with 600 graduates receiving Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees and 100 graduates receiving doctoral degrees.
  • More than 850 students graduated from the McDonough School of Business Friday afternoon – including 335 undergraduates, more than 350 MBAs, 45 Executive MBAs, 29 from the Executive Master’s in Leadership program and 65 from the Master of Science in Finance program.
  • The School of Continuing Studies graduated over 900 students Friday afternoon – including 810 Masters in Professional Studies, 42 Executive Masters in Professional Studies, 30 Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies, 12 Doctor of Liberal Studies and 32 Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies graduates.
  • Georgetown College graduated more than 800 students during its Saturday morning commencement, including the awarding of 678 bachelor of arts degrees and 141 bachelor of science degrees.
  • The School of Nursing & Health Studies graduated 105 Bachelor of Science students, 371 Master of Science students and 12 Doctor of Nursing Practice students Saturday afternoon.
  • The School of Foreign Service ceremony honored 354 undergraduates and 380 graduate students on Saturday.
  • A total of 181 newly minted M.D.s were celebrated at the School of Medicine during Sunday morning commencement exercises.
  • Georgetown Law graduated 1,255 students at the law school’s Sunday afternoon ceremony, including 654 J.D.s and 601 LLMs.