Student Reflection Speakers to Share Stories at Commencement

Each ceremony will feature a student speaker who's also graduating.

Each of this weekend’s three Commencement ceremonies features multiple speakers, including graduating students. These student reflection speakers will talk about their time at Tech and share words of wisdom and encouragement with their fellow graduates.

On Friday, spring and summer bachelor’s and master’s graduates will hear from Mahdi Al-Husseini, a Douglasville, Georgia, native who’s graduating with a master’s in computer science. Al-Husseini will be speaking about how he sees Tech not just as a place, but as a community.

“That community is with people whether they are enrolled at Georgia Tech or have left to make their mark on the world,” he said.

On Saturday morning, Shalini Pandya, a master’s student in health systems from Stone Mountain, Georgia, will be speaking to fall master’s graduates and spring, summer, and fall Ph.D. graduates. In her speech, she’ll talk about how being a changemaker, innovator, and leader can help solve various inequalities that we experience or witness.

“We must believe in our art and technical expertise; it's one of our super powers to overcome any inequality we are bombarded with,” she said.

On Saturday afternoon, undergraduate math major Malaikatu Kargbo will share her message with the fall bachelor’s graduates. The Atlanta native will reflect on how people’s diverse stories shape their communities.

“I want to encourage my peers to be brave and use their voice because there is someone waiting on their story to change their life,” she said.

Each ceremony will also include a guest speaker; learn more about them here. All ceremonies will take place in Bobby Dodd Stadium, with health and safety protocols in place for all attendees. They will also be streamed online. More information about events is available at commencement.gatech.edu.

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