Fall 2024 commencement marked by historic firsts

Fall 2024 commencement marked by historic firsts

Nov 16, 2024| Alumni, General News, Students

The Louisiana Tech University Fall 2024 graduating class-299 students in total-gathered with faculty, friends, family, and beloved bulldog Tech XXII in the Thomas Assembly Center on Saturday for a triumphant commencement ceremony. The worldwide count of Louisiana Tech alumni now stands at 115,433.

The keynote address was delivered by Class of 1989 accounting alumna Sharilyn Smith Gasaway. She served as executive vice president and CFO of Alltel Corporation from 2006 - 2009. Today, she serves on the Boards of Directors for HanesBrands, J.B. Hunt, and Genesis Energy, LP. She was Tech's College of Business Distinguished Alumna of the Year in 2008 and is also a member of Tech's College of Business Dean's Advisory Board and the Louisiana Tech Foundation Board. Notably, Gasaway shares ownership of the 2024 Kentucky Derby-winning horse Mystik Dan.

Gasaway gave the audience some insight into her career pathway, emphasizing that many of the most fruit-bearing decisions made at crossroads in her life had been unexpected or improbable.

"Opportunities can come in many different forms," Gasaway said during her address. "I want you to look beyond the salary and past the title … You can add value wherever you go in whatever you do if you give 120 percent and you don't underestimate an opportunity."

Portions of this graduating class also served to mark two distinct firsts in the University's 130-year history:

Eleven students earned their bachelor's degree in nursing, the first graduating cohort of Tech's RN to BSN program. Prior to 2024, the University only offered an associate's degree in nursing; the RN to BSN program fast-tracks students to an advanced degree.

Dr. Lindsay Kristina Gouedy, now a four-time graduate of the University, received her Doctor of Engineering & Technology Management (DETM) degree. The DETM was announced as a new doctoral program in July 2024, and Gouedy is the first-ever graduate of the program at Louisiana Tech.