Grace Ackermann was selected to deliver a Message of Appreciation on behalf of the Class of 2024 at Elon’s commencement ceremonies, the first time a member of the graduating class has been invited to do so.
Talk to Grace Ackermann ’24 for a little while about Elon, about her values, her goals and dreams, and an important word resurfaces again and again: Community.
Community is the reason the Tampa, Florida, native chose human service studies as a major. It’s why she’s planning a career working with people who are incarcerated or struggling with substance abuse to “help them change their narrative”: Strengthening communities begins by empowering individuals. And community is at the heart of her Elon experience.
“I’ve realized how much I’ve learned about myself, what my strengths and passions are. Elon helps you identify and build on your strengths while being in a community that uplifts each other,” Ackermann said. “One of the things I love about Elon is that everyone is welcome into any space on campus, and that pushes people to explore and get involved.”
Gratitude for the ways her classmates shaped the campus community and each other will be key aspects of Ackermann’s Message of Appreciation during Friday’s commencement ceremonies. Hers marks the first time at Elon a member of the senior class was invited to deliver such a message on behalf of the graduating class. Seniors applied to make the address through a series of submissions and readings before committee, a vote by the senior student body, and a final selection by President Connie Ledoux Book.
I’m incredibly grateful for the friendships and mentorship from peers and professors here. At Elon, there is an array of interests and personalities within the student body, and a lot to learn as you navigate all of those different perspectives. I’ve grown a lot from the community here.
For Ackermann and others in the Class of 2024, finding community on a college campus wasn’t a given. They arrived at Elon in fall 2020, masked and following Ready and Resilient protocols, which included hybrid classes and student organizations doing most business — including recruiting new members — online. As the pandemic eased, Ackermann and her classmates dove into all Elon had to offer, eager to carve out their niche. Ackermann found belonging as a Periclean Scholar, as president of Students for Peace and Justice since her sophomore year, an admissions tour guide, the director of Campus Kitchen for Elon Volunteers!, and as a member of Elon’s chapter of the Sigma Kappa sorority.
As with many of her classmates, this will be Ackermann’s first traditional commencement ceremony. Her high school held a “drive-through” graduation ceremony during the pandemic, the principal bestowing diplomas and shaking hands through car windows.
“We missed out on that experience, so there’s a special weight to it at Elon,” Ackermann said.
Ackermann was traveling to Boston College’s admitted students’ weekend, where she’ll enroll in the Master of Social Work Program this fall, when she received a call from Book and the news she would deliver the address.
“I was shaking. I was very excited but, also, ‘Oh, my goodness, President Book is calling me,’” she said. “She congratulated me and explained the general commencement process, then she told me to call my parents and tell them the good news. They were over the moon and very proud.”
In part, she credits being selected for the honor on her choice of major. Elon’s human service studies curriculum incorporates deep self-reflection around community-based learning and interactions with partner agencies, and she approached her message as a reflective exercise.
Grace walks the talk. She’s an eager, humble and inquisitive learner whose academic interests align with her service. She’s not just checking boxes. Her heart’s in what she’s doing.
Ackermann originally planned to major in psychology and pursue a counseling career. It was in the HSS 2120 Counseling for Individuals and Families course, taught by Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Human Service Studies Judy Folmar, when she changed her trajectory. She realized the impact she could have by working one-on-one with those from vulnerable or marginalized communities within the systems they encounter.
Her experience as a human service studies major — including internships and practicums at agencies like Residential Treatment Services of Alamance County, which supports people in recovery from substance abuse, as well as working within social support systems abroad during global study experiences — proved her gut was right.
Faculty in the department admire Ackermann’s spirit and selected her to represent the program at a recent majors and minors fair. They were elated at the news she would be delivering a commencement address.
“Grace walks the talk,” Folmar said. “She’s an eager, humble and inquisitive learner whose academic interests align with her service. She’s not just checking boxes. Her heart’s in what she’s doing.”
Monica Burney, lecturer in human service studies, said Ackermann’s humility and careful attention to individuals’ stories and circumstances foster trust in clients and communities.
“Grace’s ability to listen is her ‘It factor,’ her secret sauce, her superpower that will propel her to a bright future,” Burney said.
Ackermann hopes her classmates will share her gratitude for the opportunities and experiences they had as undergraduates when she takes the podium Friday in Schar Center.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the friendships and mentorship from peers and professors here. At Elon, there is an array of interests and personalities within the student body, and a lot to learn as you navigate all of those different perspectives,” Ackermann said. “I’ve grown a lot from the community here.”
The 134th Undergraduate Commencement for the Class of 2024 will be held Friday, May 24, at 9 a.m. for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and School of Communications and 2:30 p.m. for the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education and Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. The ceremonies will be held in Schar Center.
A full schedule of events and further details can be found on the Commencement website. Both ceremonies will be available to livestream on personal devices.