(Mobile, Ala.) Spring Hill College will hold its 2024 Commencement on the historic Avenue of the Oaks on Saturday, May 11, at 9 a.m. With strong Jesuit roots and family ties to The Hill, Fordham University President Tania Tetlow will give the commencement speech.
The connection Tetlow has to Spring Hill starts with her father, who attended the College. He graduated with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy. Born in New York and raised in New Orleans as Catholic, Tetlow has grown up surrounded by Jesuit heritage.
Before her presidency at Fordham, Tetlow was the first woman and layperson to serve as president at Loyola University New Orleans — our sister school. She also was the fourth, and youngest, woman to represent the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities as president of one of its 27 institutions. Tetlow earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Tulane University, and a juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School.
Provost Rebecca Cantor, PhD, finds Tetlow’s commitment to leading Jesuit education forward awe-inspiring. “President Tetlow is an incredible leader who is savvy, smart, and unafraid to have fun. These qualities, in concert with her focus on the Jesuit mission, make her an excellent role model for our students, and I’m looking forward to learning from her as well!”
Past commencement speakers in the last 2 years have included an award-winning inventor and Mobile native, Lonnie G. Johnson, and District One Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood. Commencement addresses offer students reflection, counsel and encouragement, empowering them to take on the world with confidence. There is much to expect from Tetlow as she delivers the address to a unique class of students this year.
This year’s commencement is extra special since COVID pandemic restrictions in 2020 forced many graduating seniors to miss out on their high school graduation. To have lost out on that monumental walk across stage is disheartening, to say the least. But now, those same students anticipate graduating the way they intended all those years ago — among the support of family and friends and the roaring sounds of applause.
President Mary H. Van Brunt, PhD, says, “When students cross that graduation stage, it symbolizes their walk toward a brighter future. Most in the Class of 2024 were denied a proper send-off from high school to college. Here, at The Hill, we hope to make up for that. Our graduates are about to embark on a new journey that requires the unrelenting support of everyone around them. On May 11, we celebrate all they’ve accomplished and all that’s in store for their future. Go, Badgers!”
In the event it rains, the commencement will be brought indoors to the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center with limited seating. If that happens, family and guests will need commencement tickets, which may be picked up at the Student Center Information Desk on Friday afternoon. If you are taking the Dauphin St. entrance, please be advised that McGregor Ave. will be closed between Dauphin St. and Airport Blvd. Our Commencement FAQ page has answers to all your questions regarding attire, parking and accommodations.
A livestream of the commencement will be accessible through YouTube. Follow our SHC Commencement webpage for any updates in the coming days up to graduation.
ABOUT SPRING HILL COLLEGE:
Founded in 1830, Spring Hill College is the oldest Catholic college in the Southeast and the third oldest Jesuit college in the United States. Spring Hill combines the Jesuit tradition of excellence in education and a commitment to caring for the whole person — mind, body and spirit — with innovative educational experiences. Located in Mobile, Ala., Spring Hill’s mission is to form leaders engaged in learning, faith, justice, and service for life. As a result, Spring Hill students are engaged, inspired and transformed by their experiences.