A Season of Momentum, Connection, and Opportunity at MGA

Season of Momentum, Connection, and Opportunity

It’s hard to believe Convocation is here, marking the start of the 2026–27 academic year!
Convocation is a defining moment in the life of MGA. We celebrate the accomplishments of the past while looking ahead to the opportunities and goals that await us. We also recognize faculty and staff through achievement awards and service anniversaries.

Shortly after Convocation, we will welcome over 9,000 students for the fall semester. All are pursuing futures that will challenge and inspire them, and most will build their careers and lives right here in Middle Georgia.
While summer brings a different rhythm to campus, it never slows our momentum. Faculty are developing new academic programs, preparations for student orientations are underway, campus enhancements are ongoing, as are summer classes and summer camps, along with much detailed planning for another successful year. Our Advancement team also continues to connect with alumni and supporters within and beyond our region.

One such connection took me to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, where I enjoyed dinner with MGA alumna Michelle Posey, her husband, Will, and Michelle’s parents James and Mark Ann Yaughn —also MGA alumni, as were Michelle’s grandparents. Originally from Twiggs County, James and Mark relocated to South Carolina for Mr. Yaughn’s career before retiring to Santa Rosa Beach to be near the Poseys.

Michelle and Will are members of our Founders Society. This is an annual giving society for donors of $10,000 and more. They made their first gift to MGA in 2005. Over the years, they have expanded their generosity, and Will has amplified their impact through Deloitte’s matching gift program. Together, they established the James and Mark Ann Yaughn Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship supports students who are raising children while pursuing their college degree. Listening to Michelle and her parents share memories of their days at Middle Georgia College in Cochran—and reflect on its transformation into Middle Georgia State University—reminded me that our alumni carry this institution with them wherever life leads. We hope to welcome them back to campus soon.

A short drive away in Dothan, Alabama, I visited the headquarters of Five Star Credit Union to recognize the organization's first gift to MGA. Through a three-year, $30,000 commitment to establish a new annual scholarship, Five Star Credit Union is helping more MGA students pursue their educational goals.

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, September 10, at 7:00 p.m. when retired Colonel Mark Tillman, the Air Force One pilot who protected President George W. Bush on September 11, 2001, will deliver MGA’s Third Annual Jennings Family Distinguished Lecture. Colonel Tillman will share firsthand accounts from that historic day and other defining moments in presidential aviation history. The Jennings Distinguished Lecture Series is made possible by a generous gift from The W. Mansfield Jennings Jr. Charitable Trust.

We look forward to recognizing the Jennings family members at this special event. The lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, and reservations are required. I hope you will join us: Reserve Seating

As we prepare to observe the 25th anniversary of September 11, I am also pleased to share that MGA has received a grant through the 9/11 Day nonprofit and AmeriCorps to support "Knights Serve for 9/11 Day." This grant will engage our students, faculty, and staff in service projects that honor those lost on September 11 by strengthening the communities we call home.

As summer gives way to a new academic year, we are reminded that the strength of MGA rests in the people who believe in its mission. Whether you give your time, resources, expertise, or encouragement, you help create opportunities that change lives. Thank you for your continued partnership and for investing in the success of our students and the vitality of our region. I look forward to seeing many of you on campus in the months ahead.