VESTAL, N.Y. --- Four years after being unable to take part in their high school graduation ceremonies, Binghamton's graduating student athletes joined the rest of the Class of 2024 during Graduation Weekend. Over 100 Bearcat student-athletes wore green cap and gowns instead of their customary uniforms during the ceremonies at the Events Center on Friday and Saturday.
"Congratulations to all of our student-athletes on their graduation," Binghamton Director of Athletics Gene Marshall said. "I am so very proud of their accomplishments in the classroom, on the field of athletics competition and in our community. I hope they enjoy this special time in their life and my best wishes for an awesome future."
Taking part in graduation weekend was a time of both celebration and reflection for every Binghamton graduate. The Bearcat student-athletes were no exception.
"Graduating has been a milestone in my life that not only marks the end of a chapter but also a new beginning," track & field pole vaulter Emily Gorczynski said. "Seeing my mom up in the stands while I walked across the stage meant everything because she is the reason I was able to get my degree that day. I am also grateful for my best friends that -- thanks to random roommate assignments -- will always remain in my life from now on. Even though my journey at Binghamton might end here the memories I have made here will always be what has made me into the woman I am today."
"As I turned my tassel from right to left, I recounted all the memories that I made here in Binghamton," men's swimmer George Kipshidze said. "The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful moments that I and everyone experienced at Binghamton shapes who we are. While this chapter has ended, the story hasn't. Take everything with grace and love every single moment you experience. Learn, grow, and most of all be you."
There were a handful of teams that balanced competing and taking part in Graduation Weekend. The softball team returned from the America East Tournament on Saturday while the baseball team hosted UMBC in a three-game series from Friday-Sunday. The women's lacrosse team traveled to Yale for a first-round NCAA Tournament game on Friday but made it back to campus that evening. The track & field teams, meanwhile, had athletes competing at the ECAC/IC4A Championships at George Mason University.
