East Georgia State College (EGSC) will hold its Spring Commencement Ceremony Friday, May 12, 2023, at 6 p.m. The ceremony will be held in the gymnasium on the EGSC Swainsboro campus. Family and friends of the graduates and community members are all invited to attend the event.
EGSC sophomore La’Fredrick A. Gilchrist will deliver the Reflection during the event, and Dawn Baker will be the keynote speaker.
Gilchrist is a native of Augusta, Georgia. He has been a member of the Student Government Association since 2021, serving as an ambassador and then as president in 2022-2023. He is also the Vice President of the African American Union and a member of the STEM Club/Beekeeping Club and Reading Club.
Gilchrist plans to attend the University of Georgia after his time at East Georgia State College and major in Botanical Sciences with a minor in Phytochemistry. He says his goal is to make a positive impact in the world.
Dawn Baker is the longest serving newsperson in the Savannah television market. She’s the evening anchor at WTOC-TV. Baker can be seen weeknights on The News at 5, 6, 7 and 11 p.m.
The Riceboro, Georgia, native has received several awards for journalism and community services including the “Associated Press Best Documentary Award,” “Humanitarian of the Year,” and Southeast Regional Emmy Award for “Best Newscast.” Most recently, the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office honored her with the “Outstanding Georgian Award” and the Savannah Tech Foundation named her a “Community Star.”
In 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baker became the first person to enter phase three of the vaccine trial.
Through the years, she has awarded thousands of dollars to high school girls through "The Dawning of a Miracle Scholarship," a fund she created to help young ladies with chronic/life-threatening illnesses go to college.
Baker says her proudest accomplishment is the Dawn’s Daughter Leadership Academy where she teaches 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade girls in Chatham, Bryan, Liberty and Effingham County public and private schools the skills they need to become successful in their personal and professional lives.
East Georgia State College looks forward to celebrating its graduates!