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'This is an extraordinary milestone': FVSU president congratulates grads with phone calls

Graduation for Fort Valley State University was supposed to be on May 9, and the president found a unique way to let students know he was proud of them.

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — The campus at Fort Valley State University has been empty for almost two months now. University president Paul Jones wanted the Class of 2020 to still feel special, although graduation is being postponed.

"The idea that we were not able to have the ceremony which was scheduled for this weekend, we know how devastating that is," says Jones.

So came the idea to call over 300 graduates, one by one.

"To contact students just to pause for a moment to congratulate them and wish them well. This is an extraordinary milestone," he says.

One of those grads was Jemimah Semexant, who majored in business management. "I know he's pretty busy, so for him to take the time out to individually call each of us, like personally call each of us, that personal touch means everything, like everything."

Another graduate is Christopher Antoine, who studied media production, and says the call made his day.

"It shows I've opened up a lot of eyes, so everybody can see me and what I can do and what I can bring to the table in the future," he says.

Jones says, as of now, graduation is still scheduled for August 8 until further notice.

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