Every soon-to-be graduate of the University of Georgia understands that graduation evening isn’t complete until the legendary fireworks ignite and illuminate the sky. Kate Hall anticipates both the fireworks and tears.
Hall mentions that those tears will be a blend of emotions. Sorrowful since her journey at UGA is concluding, yet joyous to have experienced something truly memorable.
As this year’s undergraduate representative speaker, Hall aspires to encapsulate the emotional journey of the UGA student experience.
“I absolutely cherish those fireworks when you get accepted, and then again at graduation because it feels like a splendid way to both open and close a chapter,” she stated. “It’s so lyrical, so when I witness the fireworks, everyone tossing their caps, and all the grins on everyone’s faces, I’m going to feel immense happiness. I can hardly wait for that moment.”
Seeking community and career
This adventure commenced for Hall when she realized she no longer desired to pursue a degree in business — a path she had envisioned since high school in Cumming. Although altering her major was a challenging choice, Hall recognized from her very first public relations course that she had found her true calling.
To Hall, community is paramount, and the support from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication allowed her to truly grasp the difference she can make in public relations.
Undergraduate Commencement speaker Kate Hall near the Journalism Building. Hall is graduating with her bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
“Transitioning to college and being separated from everything familiar can feel like entering a completely different universe, so finding those communities to immerse myself in made it far more manageable. It felt like home,” Hall expressed.
Hall was fortunate to build connections not just on campus but across the nation and even internationally. Through her involvement with the Student Government Association, UGA’s program in Oxford, and her experiences in AdPR in New York and Washington, D.C., she realized the value of relationships on both personal and professional development.
Development and connection have also characterized Hall’s position as a communications intern at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, where she has promoted various initiatives from summer camps to interactions with the Department of the Interior.
“It was an ideal community and supportive work atmosphere where I felt I could flourish, both literally and figuratively, and really learn more about UGA as a whole. It’s become my second home where I’ve gained so much knowledge,” Hall stated.
Writing for transformation
These experiences have helped Hall clarify her focus for the next chapter: uplifting individuals on a national level. Following graduation, she plans to move to Washington, D.C., where she aspires to collaborate with a lawmaker to foster meaningful transformation.
“I certainly want to be in the midst of the action and assist in promoting positive changes in our world,” she remarked. “I’m a very goal-oriented individual, so having something to look forward to is refreshing. I refuse to set limitations on myself.”
As a writer of various formats, from poetry to press releases, Hall believes in the significant influence of words. Thus, when the opportunity presented itself to be the Commencement student speaker, she knew she had to seize it.
She hopes her address inspires classmates to reflect on what they have built at UGA — the communities they have discovered, the paths they have forged, and the passions they have chased.
“Although we haven’t actually walked through the Arch yet, we’ve been traversing it all along through the diverse experiences UGA offers,” she said. “The Arch is a narrative, and it’s a narrative that encompasses everyone who has attended this university and earned their degree here.”
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