91 Student-Athletes Earn Vanderbilt Degrees

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt will hold its annual university-wide commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday inside Vanderbilt Stadium to celebrate its three graduating classes of the academic year: August 2020, December 2020 and May 2021. Ninety-one Commodore student-athletes will receive degrees.

Friday at 10 a.m., Vanderbilt will honor its student-athletes with a brunch and hand out cords each will wear during Saturday’s ceremony.

“Vanderbilt has shown me that I made the right choice when making a college selection,” cross country runner and 2020-21 Vanderbilt SAAC President Caleb Van Geffen said. “I have been challenged athletically and academically, in which I have grown to a better person. I will cherish these relationships, memories, and experiences forever.”

At 11 a.m. Friday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert and an internationally renowned biomedical scientist and Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal winner will kick off the commencement weekend with a Virtual Graduates Day event.

“Being a student-athlete here has given me a great opportunity to have an incredible academic experience, social experience and play my heart out through my passion of lacrosse,” Melissa Hawkins said. “Lacrosse is bringing me back next year for my fifth year as I’m doing the grad program, which I’m really excited about. I’m definitely going to miss my senior class, but can’t wait to keep playing next year.”

During the weekend of April 30-May 2, Vanderbilt honored its Class of 2020 graduates who were not honored in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vanderbilt Student-Athlete Class of 2021