Kennesaw State University

Maria Gonzalez said her parents are proud she is the first one in her extended family to graduate from college. Plus, they are in awe of her journey from a 9-year-old little girl in a new country, to the woman she is today earning a civil engineering degree with honors from Kennesaw State.

Competing with a prosthetic leg, Mary Tankersley has placed in the top 5 of multiple national and international competitions in sport climbing. Tankersley, whose right leg was amputated after a bone cancer diagnosis, developed a passion for sport climbing two years ago and quickly elevated to one of the world's best.

Kennesaw State was the first university Temi Aladegbemi visited for a tour, and from the moment she arrived on the Marietta Campus, she knew her place was in the College of Architecture and Construction Management. A first-generation college graduate, Aladegbemi sought out new experiences and encourages others to do the same.

As a teenager, Issa Solis found a community in the world of theater. At Kennesaw State University, she connected with the concept of immersive storytelling, telling her own story and helping others tell theirs. Solis is graduating with a bachelor's in theatre and performance studies, as well as a slew of experiences in building community through theater.

Rachel Kaplan's career journey started in the great indoors, and now you'll find her studying songbirds in the great outdoors. Kaplan changed career trajectories to follow a burgeoning interest in wildlife science and earned a Master of Science in Integrative Biology degree from Kennesaw State.

Savannah Tuschl's childhood curiosity about other cultures never slowed down. Tuschl, a KSU summa cum laude graduate and the Department of World Languages and Cultures' 2022-23 Outstanding Student, will work in Ecuador for 27 months with the Peace Corps in the area of youth and family development.

Spellbound by the prostheses in science fiction movies like "The Terminator" and "I, Robot," Adesua Ojeifoh brought that passion to Kennesaw State's Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics program. She is graduating with a master's degree - and a mission.

Kennesaw State University graduate Bonga Maswanganye said an often-misunderstood hobby led him to his now promising career path as a programmer and virtual designer. The Marietta resident earned his degree in computer game design and development and is set to work in the video game industry after picking among several offers.

Avani Shah's competitive streak paid off as she entered college and got to work challenging herself. Shah helped launch the Honors Advisory Leadership Council, where she later served as president; interned at Fortune 500 companies; and participated in peer mentoring and various student organizations.

Allison Shaw, a December 2022 graduate in civil engineering, completed five internships throughout her college career and will be working full-time with the Georgia Department of Transportation in 2023. Shaw's time as a Kennesaw State student has been marked with several successes and celebrations, but in June, her world stopped when her father unexpectedly passed away.

One of Kennesaw State's first recipients of the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship, Keoni McKeever has been a first-rate student. McKeever has made the most of his opportunities to succeed, culminating in earning his civil engineering degree during Fall Commencement ceremonies.

Between workouts and 12-hour clinical shifts, Kennesaw State senior Sarah Hendrick has lived college life to the fullest. With a schedule sometimes packed from dawn to dusk, the nursing major and student-athlete said she wouldn't have it any other way.

Kennesaw State University senior Ashley Francis has always considered herself a helper. Knowing that about herself, she planned to become a nurse, but later decided she could help more people through a career in human services. This week, she is graduating with a bachelor's degree in human services focused on nonprofit leadership and social innovation.

Baron Wasden draws a straight line from his education at Kennesaw State University to the new job he will start in January, after graduating this month with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Systems. Wasden spent his final semester completing a capstone project leading the creation of a 3D printing laboratory in the Michael J. Coles College of Business and documenting the process so that others can follow the same roadmap to create their own labs.

Alisa Machiwalla's interest in mechanical engineering was sparked at a young age by watching her father fix things around the house. "He's super handy and I wanted to be like him," Machiwalla said. This week, she is graduating from Kennesaw State's Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SPCEET) with a degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in nuclear engineering.

A scientist and a dancer, Hope Didier combined her two passions and forged her own way at Kennesaw State, graduating with two bachelor's degrees.

Barrett Upton graduates early with his degree in biology thanks to diligence in the classroom and in the lab at KSU.

Kennesaw State University congratulates all of its spring graduates!

Two years ago, Kennesaw State University student Kristen Padgett couldn't fully envision herself as an engineer. Then a sophomore in the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SPCEET), she was admittedly a bit insecure about the prospects of joining an industry where change was the only constant. That is, until she landed her first internship.

Artis Trice became dedicated to the issues of community hunger and food insecurity while he was a student at Kennesaw State University, and he will continue that commitment well beyond the graduation day he's celebrating this week.

After leaving behind a career as a neurosurgical resident to move from Venezuela to the U.S., Roberto Escobar traded one medical career for another-he earns his nursing degree from KSU today and will start work soon as an ICU nurse.

Founded four years ago by associate professor of biology Jennifer Louten, the Advanced Majors Program at Kennesaw State University provides a community of motivated, accomplished learners for select STEM students. The program will graduate its first cohort this spring.

Kennesaw State University recently welcomed its newest class of graduates. More than 1,500 students earned bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees for the Summer 2020 semester.

Kennesaw State University recently welcomed its newest class of graduates. Nearly 3,400 students earned bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees for the Spring 2020 semester.

Kennesaw State University recently welcomed its newest class of graduates. Over 3,000 students earned bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees during the Spring 2019 commencement ceremonies in May.

Kennesaw State University recently welcomed its newest class of graduates. More than 2,500 students earned bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees during the Fall 2019 commencement ceremonies.

Kennesaw State University recently welcomed its newest class of graduates. More than 1,300 students earned bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees during the Summer 2019 commencement ceremonies.

Kennesaw State University recently welcomed its newest class of graduates. More than 2,000 students earned bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees during Fall 2018 commencement ceremonies in December.

Kennesaw State University recently welcomed its newest class of graduates. Over 1,300 students earned bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees during Summer 2018 commencement ceremonies in July.

Kennesaw State University recently welcomed its newest class of graduates. Nearly 2,300 students earned bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees during Spring 2018 commencement ceremonies in May.