DEMOREST - Two commencement speakers at Piedmont College on Saturday gave the 476 new graduates the message that if they take steps to "own their future" then the State of Georgia is still a land of "unimaginable" opportunities for their future success.
The Johnny Mize Athletic Center at the Demorest campus was twice filled to overflowing on May 5 as the college held separate commencement ceremonies for the 155 students receiving bachelor's degrees in the morning and then again for the 321 students receiving master's, specialist, and doctoral degrees in the afternoon.
Piedmont President Dr. James Mellichamp and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Thomas A. "Gus" Arrendale III also presented an honorary doctor of divinity degree to the Rev. David C. Fisher, minister of historic Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., who delivered the senior's Baccalaureate address on May 3. During his 40-year career in the ministry, Fisher has also served churches in Minneapolis and Boston.
At the undergraduate commencement, Shan Cooper, Vice President and General Manager of the Marietta, Ga., branch of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, spoke first, telling the undergraduates that it was important for them to "own your future."
"For too many people, the future is something that happens to them rather than something they make happen," Cooper said. "Some people are busy with activities, but they aren't intentional. They don't build on what matters to them the most. They tend to miss out on their destiny. They tend to forfeit their true potential.
"I urge each of you to be a person of destiny. Don't be passive. Don't just accept what comes. Don't just follow the current in whatever direction it carries you.
Monday
July 7th, 2025
9:05AM
