Commencement Held for Meredith College’s Class of 2024

Meredith College held commencement for the Class of 2024 on Saturday, May 11. Two ceremonies were held in the courtyard behind Johnson Hall to celebrate more than 490 undergraduate and graduate members of the class. 

Individuals who completed degrees in Summer 2023, December 2023, May 2024, and (pending) Summer 2024 were eligible to participate.

Watch highlights from Commencement 2024

Senior Class President Abby Dittmann was the featured speaker. In preparation for her speech, she asked her classmates to briefly describe what Meredith College has meant to them. The word that resonated most with Dittmann was “home.”

“Meredith College has been our home for the past four years or however long you have had the pleasure of being part of this community.,” Dittmann said. “It has been the place where we have created a family composed of friends, professors, staff, and our classmates. Like a family, we have shared many experiences that have shaped us academically and personally. Some have challenged us and pushed our boundaries. Others have helped us to discover we are stronger than we ever imagined.”

The commencement weekend marked the final time President Jo Allen, ’80, presided over the ceremony. Allen is retiring in June after 13 years as the first alumna to serve as Meredith’s president.

In her traditional closing remarks, Allen shared a reflection on the meaning of “Lux,” which is part of the College seal.

“You have known and lived the Lux, meaning ‘light,’ a lamp of learning that is proudly featured in the Meredith College seal,” Allen said. “Hold it in your heart, for you will need its light to guide your path and in turn, the world will look to you as a beacon of promise.” 

Post-Meredith Plans for the Class of 2024
Members of the Class of 2024 have accepted positions with SAS, Wolfspeed, Atlas SP, Scribe-X, Samet Corporation, Wake County Public Schools, Madewell, Raleigh Orthopaedic, KSA Interiors, and NC Electric Cooperatives. 

Graduates have been accepted into graduate and professional programs at a range of schools including UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, Duke, N.C. Central, Wake Forest, Charleston Southern University, University of Georgia, Texas A&M School of Law, and University of Kansas. Several 2024 graduates will continue their studies in a Meredith College graduate program. Five students will enter Meredith’s accelerated MBA program, one is pursuing a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice through the 3+1 program, and another will be earning a Master of Arts in Psychology.

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Mini-Commencement Held for Lacrosse Seniors
Prior to Saturday’s ceremonies, the College also held a special commencement celebration for its USA South Championship Lacrosse team seniors on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Johnson Hall Rotunda. This is the tenth year the Avenging Angels lacrosse team won its conference. The ceremony was held because the team qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament, and round one occurred the same day as Meredith’s regular commencement exercises.

“We’re so proud and grateful to Meredith College for acknowledging the hard work of these graduates and this team with a memorable ceremony,” said Lacrosse Head Coach Lauren Scott. “They were determined to succeed despite numerous setbacks this season and it’s also a tribute to ten years of hard work in the lacrosse program here at Meredith.”