LOUISIANA TECH CELEBRATES NEW GRADS WITH 358 DEGREES CONFERRED
Louisiana Tech College had its hands full, literally, during the Winter 2024 Commencement ceremony, adding 358 fresh faces to the Tech Family, swelling its ranks to a whopping 113,816. It all went down on a Saturday that could have been plucked straight from a postcard, at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Making a grand return, albeit in a different capacity, was none other than Dr. Les Guice, a proud alumnus from the class of '76 and '78, and the former big cheese, err... president of Louisiana Tech, who gracefully stepped down from his presidential throne at the end of 2023.
Taking the mic for his commencement speech, Guice was quick to ditch the standard script. Instead of doling out advice on navigating life's hurdles, he gave props to the graduates for weathering the storms that Tech threw their way - literally, with cyclones, and figuratively, with a global pandemic.
"Life's gonna throw curveballs at ya, but hey, you've already dodged a few Tech-sized ones," Guice chuckled. "And trust me, you'll look back at your time here with fondness. This place? It's magic. And you? You're gonna sprinkle that magic everywhere you go."
Adding to the pomp and circumstance was Dr. Jim Henderson, the new head honcho at Louisiana Tech. He couldn't stop singing Guice's praises, likening him to a Tech legend.
"When I hear 'Ever Steadfast Be,' I think of one man who's been the epitome of loyalty for 45 years," Henderson declared. "And when it comes to leaders with character, he's the gold standard."
But the accolades didn't stop there. The spotlight also shone bright on Justin and Jeanette Hinckley, who were bestowed with the highest honor Tech has to offer - the Summit Emblem. Translation? They're now card-carrying members of the Tech Hall of Fame, recognized for their outstanding achievements, community service, and all-around awesomeness.
Class of '78, stand up! Justin, the brainiac computer science grad, snagged Tech's Alumni of the Year title back in 2010. And let's not forget his better half, Jeanette Jarrell Hinckley, an English education whiz, who was crowned the Queen of Education in 2016. Talk about a power couple.
So, as these grads march off into the sunset, armed with diplomas and dreams, one thing's for sure - they're ready to take on the world, one Bulldog at a time.