A WORD FROM
President Richard Carvajal
President's Update
December 2024
Dear Blazer Nation,
It is hard to believe finals week is already here. The fall semester flew by. I want to wish our students and faculty much success as they wrap up their classwork. I have some updates to share with you about exciting things happening on campus.
Fall Commencement
Fall Commencement is this Friday and Saturday, and I am incredibly excited to celebrate our students who have worked so hard these past few years. We are all here to get them to the finish line, and this is one of my favorite events each fall and spring. We are also ready to welcome all our families and guests to Valdosta and to our beautiful campus. For those graduating or attending, you can find ceremony details, the live stream link, the parking map, and other important information on our Commencement webpage. The link is below.
Blazer Football
Not only do we have Fall Commencement on Saturday; Blazer Football is hosting Minnesota State in the NCAA DII National Semi-Finals. A VSU victory would send the Blazers back to the National Championship game on December 21 in McKinney, Texas. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, and we need all current Blazers, faculty, staff, alumni, and anyone who loves our incredible institution to come out and cheer on the team. Let's "Pack the Baze" and show Minnesota State why this is TitleTown USA. Click the link below for ticket information.
Happy Holidays
We had a great turnout this year at Lighting of the Palms, our official holiday season kickoff event. It was a nice break from studying for our students, and I spotted many faculty and staff celebrating with their family and friends. There are other community holiday events happening this month as well, and I hope you'll support our local businesses and enjoy this memorable time of the year.
In Closing
With the devastation of Hurricane Helene in September, I know it has been a very challenging fall semester for many of you. It has taken all of us to get VSU back open, and there is still a lot of clean up to be done. But progress is being made. I am so proud of our students for not giving up when they had no internet and class formats had to be altered. Our faculty quickly adapted to those changes and have supported our students when they needed it the most. And our staff has had their own sprint to the finish line while assisting both our students and faculty. Thank you for leaning on each other. That is just one of the many things that makes VSU such an incredible place. I hope you are able to relax, replenish, and spend time with your families during our holiday break. I look forward to a great spring semester when we return in the new year.
Go Blazers!
Dr. Richard Carvajal
President