At Tropaia Ceremony, School of Health Honors Achievements by Class of 2024

(May 20, 2024) — The School of Health Tropaia Ceremony celebrated the achievements of students who started attending classes in a remote setting due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ultimately thrived in the face of adversity, according to Christopher King, PhD, MHSc, dean of the School of Health.

“The Class of 2024 will go down in history with an asterisk,” King said during the May 17 ceremony at Lohrfink Auditorium. “This class missed a traditional high school graduation. This class missed a traditional prom. This class missed a freshman on-campus experience.

“But on the other hand, this class persevered and honed a new set of critical skills,” King continued. “From becoming more technologically savvy to being more attuned to your mental health and well-being, you are uniquely prepared for the state of the world.”

Shreyaa Venkat speaks from a podium — Shreyaa Venkat (H’24)

Being students during the pandemic gave the Class of 2024 experience facing challenges head-on with flexibility, said student speaker Shreyaa Venkat (H’24), who earned her Bachelor of Science degree in global health and is pursuing an accelerated master’s degree in the same subject.

“With the values we’ve acquired from our time at Georgetown — our unwavering compassion, unshakable vitality, our unfaltering determination — the possibilities are truly endless as to what we can — and will — achieve when we make this world our own,” she said.

“As I look out into the crowd, I feel a sense of hope for the future of humanity unlike any other,” Venkat added. “With passion, ambition, hard work — and a little bit of luck — each of us can seize every opportunity to inspire, innovate and impact the world around us.”

In addition to honoring students who received awards (listed below), the Tropaia Ceremony recognized those entering honor societies, as well as students graduating with Latin and departmental honors.