40 Tech athletes to graduate this weekend
Georgia Tech will hold graduation ceremonies Saturday at the Georgia Dome. Among the graduates will be 40 current or former Tech athletes and managers. Notables include football players Chandler Anderson, Preston Lyons, B.J. Machen, Steven Sylvester and Omoregie Uzzi. Anderson, in fact, will report to Naval Air Station Pensacola Jan. 3, three days after playing his final game for Tech in the Sun Bowl.
Former Tech baseball player Charlie Blackmon, who made his major-league debut this season with the Colorado Rockies, will also graduate, as will three-time tennis All-American Guillermo Gomez, whose Tech career ended this past spring before turning professional.
Kristen Adkins, softball (STC)
Doug Allvine, former football (MBA)
Chandler Anderson, football (BSBA)
Sarah Anderson, women’s track/cross country (BMED)
Cy Avila, cheerleading (MGT)
Charles Blackmon, baseball (BSBA)
Zach Brewster, baseball (MGT)
Joseph DiDia, men’s track/cross country (BSBA)
David Duncan, baseball (BSBA)
Tiffany Eason, cheerleading (PUBP)
Alexander Erickson, men’s track/cross country (ME)
Samuel Freeman, former football (MGT)
Guillermo Gomez, men’s tennis (IE)
Joseph Hardy, former football (IE)
Cali Harrison, women’s swimming (MGT)
Christy Jones, softball (ME)
Aleksandra Krupina, women’s tennis (GEML)
Preston Lyons, football (HTS)
B.J. Machen, football (STC)
Joshua Martin, men’s track/cross country (ME)
William Miller, golf (IE)
Thomas Oatts, men’s track/cross country (ECE)
Dean O’Brien, men’s tennis (MGT)
Aleria Perry, cheerleading (MGT)
Paul Reese, former football (BSBA)
Charles Rohling, men’s track/cross country (MGT)
Matthew Simonds, baseball (BSBA)
Kevin Skenes, men’s swimming (ME)
Michael St. Denis, former football (PSYC)
Alexander Stephenson, men’s track/cross country (CE)
Kylie Stradley, cheerleading (BSBA)
Steven Sylvester, football (STC)
Duncan Thompson, men’s track/cross country (ECE)
Mary Ashley Tippins, volleyball (MGT)
Christian Townsend, cheerleading (MGT)
Jacob Tzegaebe, men’s swimming (CE)
Omoregie Uzzi, football (BSBA)
Conner Volpe, manager (AE)
Alexander Walker, former football (MGT)
Joshua Wallace, former football (MGT)
Among the acronyms:
STC – Science, Technology and Culture
BSBA – Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
BMED – Biomedical Engineering
PUBP – Public Policy
GEML – Global Economics and Modern Languages
HTS – History, Technology and Society
ECE – Electrical and Computer Engineering
CE – Civil Engineering
AE – Aerospace Engineering
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77 comments Add your comment
5150 UOAD
December 16th, 2011
6:31 pm
The Former players are nice to see finishing their degrees.
Jacket Dad
December 16th, 2011
7:34 pm
Congrats to each and all!
Marine Jacket
December 16th, 2011
7:49 pm
Does anyone know why Anderson is reporting to the naval air station. Has he joined the Navy as an officer?
Go Jackets
Ohio Jacket
December 16th, 2011
7:52 pm
Congrats to all these graduates! A proud moment, indeed! Thanks Ken for this good news.
Genius Jacket
December 16th, 2011
8:29 pm
And they all took calculus.
JD
December 16th, 2011
8:49 pm
Think Anderson may have been NROTC.
cewbee
December 16th, 2011
9:19 pm
If he is reporting to NAS Pensacola it is as a commissioned officer – with intent of earning Navy Wings of Gold – with amny before him – awesome!
virginiajacket
December 16th, 2011
9:49 pm
Pensacola is where the Navy’s Officer Candidate School (OCS) is located. Maybe someday some chick will ask him, “you’re a pilot?” And he’ll say,”yes ma’am… A Naval Aviator.” How sweet is that!
virginiajacket
December 16th, 2011
9:57 pm
I take that back… OCS has all been consolidated to Newport, RI. So, he must have been ROTC or some other commissioning program to be reporting to “the cradle of Naval Aviation” before OCS. Best of luck to Mr. Anderson!
Jim GT
December 16th, 2011
10:44 pm
This is a fine group of people that reflects what The Georgia Institute of Technology is all about — The Total Person concept, and a big thank you to Homer Rice and the vision he brought to GT.
Business leaders, world leaders. Their presence in the world will be a proud reflection on GT as well as their parents and family, and themselves.
Go out and take the brass ring, Grads !!!!! Give Em Hell, you Rambling Wrecks and do us proud.
Hayseed Dixie
December 16th, 2011
11:12 pm
Congratulations, one and all.
Very impressive.
misterwax
December 16th, 2011
11:45 pm
Yes, congratulations and Merry Christmas.
Spyro
December 17th, 2011
6:05 am
Congratulations to all graduates for finally getting out!
Wrecker
December 17th, 2011
8:30 am
Much congratulations to all! We are all proud of you and hope you do great things!
Bet they will be glad...
December 17th, 2011
8:42 am
…to get away from all the robberies on/near the campus (just a little dig based on the comments made by some Techmites on the UGA site when discussing the grads from that institution and the graduation of the guy who finished his diploma after a nice career in the NFL)…
AND, many kudos and congratulations to ALL who finish their degree, no matter where they go to college…
Alabama Jack
December 17th, 2011
9:02 am
Congratulations to all you from a guy who walked the platform 45 years ago.
collegeballfan
December 17th, 2011
9:07 am
Interesting stat. 17% of all GT graduates are millionaires.
No I did not go to GT. Just ran across the stat from the GT office.
Jacket Backer
December 17th, 2011
9:09 am
Congrats to all. My son walked across that stage this time last year. Proud moment!
Go Jackets!!
RambleOn84
December 17th, 2011
9:09 am
Yes, Atlanta has a high crime rate. Big cities do. And college students are easy targets for lowlifes. Really not something to make light of, however.
Hopefully, the state will come to its senses and allow law-abiding citizens to carry guns on campus.
Jacket Follower
December 17th, 2011
9:31 am
Congratulations to all! We know that you are proud of your accomplishments, and we are proud of you. We’ve enjoyed watching your athletic accomplishments and look forward to hearing about your continued accomplishments in life. Go Jackets!!
zgoldatl
December 17th, 2011
9:47 am
Congratulations and God bless to all that graduated. Truly an accomplishment. Keep making the Institute proud
bulldog steve
December 17th, 2011
9:56 am
I thought all the football players that played for Tech were engineers?
RambleOn84
December 17th, 2011
10:04 am
I thought all dog fans who spent their lives denigrating Tech players were lowlife losers…and it looks like I’m right.
Jacket68
December 17th, 2011
11:00 am
Good to have you back on the beat Ken. Hope you are feeling better.
GT Anchorage
December 17th, 2011
11:15 am
Good to see that there is another AE major graduating this year from within the Athletic department. Hopefully, Sean Bedford showed that it is possible to take on the schools most difficult major and play a major sport as well. Although I could barely pass my classes without athletics….
Hello? Anybody home?
December 17th, 2011
11:23 am
My deepest respect and congratulations to all these athletes listed above. Graduating from Tech is no easy feat. Doing it on top of a rigorous athletic regimen is even more impressive. Well done, ladies and gents. Well done.
Supersize that order, mutt
December 17th, 2011
11:29 am
Good to see that somebody from the AJC FINALLY provided this information. It’s been accessible to anybody who was interested for at least a week. Hard to believe the AJC took so long to post it; they sure don’t delay posting info on UGA
Hello? Anybody home?
December 17th, 2011
11:37 am
@GT Anchorage: I second everything you said. I transferred out of AE to MgtSci because those guys were way over my head but I didn’t want to waste all those calculus classes. II listened to Sean Bedford speak at a pep rally before the season began this year and, I must say, he is an impressive young man.
gt45
December 17th, 2011
11:40 am
Enter your comments here
gt45
December 17th, 2011
11:42 am
My name is Forest-Forest Gump! Congrats to all! I hope some can make it back in the future to support the athletic program.
Hayseed Dixie
December 17th, 2011
11:54 am
I’m watching Francis Kallon closely- he scored a 1500 something on his SAT and his family still made him re-take it. It’ll be interesting to see what he majors in.
Getting an engineering degree from Tech is just plain difficult.
The average person could have a clone or two of themselves and still not get it done.
Again, as I read this list I’m very impressed and feel just a bit better about the state of college athletics.
Marine Jacket
December 17th, 2011
1:05 pm
Maybe I’ll run across Anderson. Just got commissioned as a Navy officer.
Go Jackets
My nephew...
December 17th, 2011
1:59 pm
…a Tech grad (along with his dad who as an AE major back in the late 60’s) said getting into Tech was not difficult – it was getting out that was hard (i.e.- difficult classes, etc)…
Hey, Rambleon84......
December 17th, 2011
2:00 pm
…I qualified my low lifeness – me thinks thou doth protest too much…
Buzz Pilot
December 17th, 2011
4:41 pm
Congratulations to all! I crossed that staged myself 33 years ago and then reported to NAS Pensacola and became a Naval Aviator. Good luck Mr Anderson and thank you for serving your country!! Go Jackets
nasbisco
December 17th, 2011
5:24 pm
BWAHAHAHAHA, MONKEN AND GA SOUTHERN GETTING THEIR ARSE HANDED TO THEM, SU%KS TO PLAY ON THE ROAD, GUESS YOU TOOK THE WRONG ONE FROM GA TECH, INSTEAD OF COMING FOR JAYBO, YOU SHOULD HAVE CAME FOR GROH, PLEASE COME FOR HIM CAUSE YOUR DEFENSE SU$KS…YEAH GROH WOULD BE THE MAN, PLEASE TAKE HIM MONKEN
nasbisco
December 17th, 2011
5:25 pm
REFS GAME JAYBO A PITY CALL WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FUMBLE
Paul in NH
December 17th, 2011
5:27 pm
Congratulations to all of the graduates. I hope to see Uzzi’s name on this list again in a couple ot years with MBA after it,
Supersize that order, mutt
December 17th, 2011
6:36 pm
nabisco, or JJ under which name you posted the exact same thing on the other Tech blog, you are a totally worthless POS. Whey on earth would anybody in this state not pull for Georgia Southern to succeed? They are not connected with either Tech or Georgia. I owe them no loyalty because they have a former Tech assistant in charge and a former Tech QB. But I still now, and have always pulled for them to win, because they represent our state. You, on the other hand, represent the lowest dregs of humanity.
George Stein
December 17th, 2011
8:56 pm
Uh, Hey Rambleon84, methinks is one word, not two. Is there anything sadder than an idiot trying to sound intelligent?
Methinks not.
Packerfan
December 17th, 2011
9:45 pm
As a ‘73 grad I offer congratulations to all who conquer the hill and graduate. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, and I learned so many life lessons(patience,perseverance,maintaining the iron will to overcome etc.). It was well worth it and I wish the best for all.
5150 UOAD
December 17th, 2011
10:02 pm
i am at UGa I can be a AE. I make the bestest paper aeroplines. They fly far from da top of Sanford and son’s septic tank stadium.
5150 UOAD
December 17th, 2011
10:14 pm
Want a Personalized gift? Something from the heart? Check this site and go to the Bird house Page.
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1 4 GT
December 17th, 2011
11:05 pm
Let me add my congrats and best wishes to today’s grads. Though some schhols may be a bit easier that others, earning your degree is still a great accomplishment in one’s life.
1 4 GT
December 17th, 2011
11:08 pm
To those who went to flight school in Pensacola, I’m sure you remember Trader John’s Bar. A pretty cool place with a picture on the wall of every Naval aviator that went to flight school there.
1 4 GT
December 17th, 2011
11:21 pm
Taking part in athletics makes your accomplishment even more impressive.
sports
December 17th, 2011
11:57 pm
what a joke, how can they graduate when they don’t attend class
Tech Guy
December 18th, 2011
12:17 am
Congrtaulations! You made it! I remember the joy.
Jimmy
December 18th, 2011
4:23 am
When UGA’s athletes graudate, you hear from Coach Mark Richt and how much he enjoys seeing his guys graduate and watching them come back to the campus in the future. Also how much he talks about how much he considers UGA a part of his family.
Then you get the GT graduation article, w/ nary a peep from Coach Paul Johnson. Of course he comes off as kind of callous and cold blooded anyway. As if he’s just a coach and the only thing that matters is the bottom line, ie winning.
Seems to me that Richt outclasses Johnson, much like UGA fans do Techies, both on and off the field.
war jacket
December 18th, 2011
7:00 am
UGA fans have class? Since when?
General Wood
December 18th, 2011
7:28 am
Jimmy, certainly you’ve noticed that this newspaper covers anything related to UGA. They even have an article about the “possibility” of a QB transferring. I do believe the UGA football factory has the win at all cost part covered. Unless you are know CPJ intimately you should be quiet.
Congratulations to all of these fine young people and good luck!
bulldog steve
December 18th, 2011
8:04 am
Hey supersize, maybe the AJC thought all the Tech fans were already in Texas for the bowl game. Have the fans bought over 1000 tickets yet? Impressive.
george p burdell
December 18th, 2011
8:43 am
Congrats to all the student athletes who graduated!! You all should be very proud of yourselves, no matter what those trembling chihuahuas may say to you. Look at it this way, UGAs housing degree gives you a tool belt and hammer. GT’s building and construction degree gives you a suit and tie to go boss around mutts who were gives a hammer as a graduation present.
Go Jackets!
george p burdell
December 18th, 2011
8:50 am
In response to General Wood, I agree with your statement. Have you read the comments after the mutts loose a game? They want their entire coaching staff fired! Talk about hypocrites…
Wild Bill
December 18th, 2011
9:09 am
Congrats to all of those who got out, especially those who participated in sports! I will never forget the organ rising in the Fox Theater playing the Ramblin Wreck song back in 1970 and yes, it is good to be one of the 17%. THWG
General Wood
December 18th, 2011
9:33 am
Yes Mr. Burdell, CMR is a fine man until he loses a game then the bandwagon fans want him gone. It’s sad but the nature of some of their fan base.
General Wood
December 18th, 2011
9:36 am
bulldog steve, you should purchase a ticket to the Sun Bowl for a service member. That would be impressive.
Hey, George Stein...
December 18th, 2011
11:01 am
Please correct this statement from an infamous GT poster named george p burdell “Have you read the comments after the mutts loose a game?” (poasted today at 8:50am)…you holier than thou hypocrit…and bad lawyer, too…and probably worse human being…but a Tech apologist just the same…
DJ
December 18th, 2011
11:49 am
Seriously AJC, why in the world would either article about Tech’s graduates or Georgia’s graduates be in a blog format? This is actually solid, meaningful information about the accomplishments off the field, and you know only a bunch of complete idiots (from both sides) will come on here and say the dumbest things. Oh well, congrats to these athletes. I still count “getting out” of Ma Tech as one of my life’s greatest accomplishments, and it definitely prepared me for all I’ve faced out in the real world.
5150 UOAD
December 18th, 2011
12:37 pm
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George Stein
December 18th, 2011
1:06 pm
That’s funny, Hey, George Stein. In a post criticizing someone else for his grammar, you misspell hypocrite.
The point of my prior comment – which I’m not surprised you missed – was that some guy used methinks in his post because he thought it would make him sound smart. Unfortunately for him, he misspelled it and confirmed his own idiocy.
Supersize that order, mutt
December 18th, 2011
2:34 pm
The only thing that relates most UGA fans to CLASS is that it ends in A S S, which describes the majority of them
Supersize that order, mutt
December 18th, 2011
2:38 pm
bulldog steve, have you bought a ticket for the Outback Bowl, or do you just live vicariously through the accomplishments of a bunch of kids you have never even met, like most of the mutts who post on here?
RambleOn84
December 18th, 2011
3:56 pm
Was it really necessary to allow comments on this type of story?
Oh, I forgot. Over half of the AJC’s “clicks” come from typical Tech-UGA banter. And what better way to stir the fire than to bring out the old “wait, I thought all Tech athletes were engineers HAR HAR HAR!” lines from the clever dog fans?
Keep up the good work, AJC!
Uh, George Stein...
December 18th, 2011
4:08 pm
….I believe grammar and spelling are two entirely different things – but, then again, one would not expect a Tech guy to be able to necessarily know the difference…and, to top it off, YOU missed the point of the question about geroge p burdell’s sentence that misspelled the word “lose”…but, keep on pluggin’ – maybe you will win one of these “war of words”, possibly once every eleven posts…
Hey, supersize...
December 18th, 2011
6:31 pm
…your explanation of the word “class”, and then your application to the majority of UGA fans (do you even know what the word “majority” means) may be right on – however, it also applies to you as you continue to prove it everyday with your posts about anything NOT GT…
Supersize that order, mutt
December 18th, 2011
6:34 pm
@Hey, supersize, might I remind you that this is a TECH BLOG!!! I talk about anything and everything that is GT when the opportunity arises, but then trolls like you come on here and immediately steer the conversation away from anything pertinent to the topics being discussed. I don’t obsess over any of our opponents. If you could say the same thing, then you would not be posting garbage on a TECH BLOG!!!
George Stein
December 18th, 2011
8:09 pm
You believe wrong, Uh George Stein.
As to my earlier post, explain how it was hypocritical, loser. I’m assuming you can’t because it wasn’t.
Golden Hand
December 19th, 2011
7:49 am
Does anyone know whether Uzzi has been accepted to grad school? He was a RS junior this year, so would be really nice to get him back, but I understand getting into Tech’s business grad school is nothing like automatic for football players.
RAMBLE ON!!!
December 19th, 2011
9:27 am
Congratulations to all.
Just remember, when hiring a UGA graduate, to be very thorough checking their work references (if they have any).
dawgfan
December 19th, 2011
10:25 am
Of the 40 only 13 were engineering majors. Of that 13 only one was on the football team. We bring this up because Techies are all sore losers who hide behind this engineering crap when their football team loses to Georgia. Oh, and its also in your fight song you clueless morons. Looking at this list maybe it should go something like this instead:
“I’m a ramblin’ wreck from Georgia Tech and a helluva History, Technology and Science major.”
Georgia Tech=JOKE.
juvenal
December 19th, 2011
11:01 am
made 2 As and a C in calculus, fan-you? the math the IM people take is not the same as the other folks, but it will only be a joke when coaches that recruit against us stop showing the textbook to kids….
RAMBLE ON!!!
December 19th, 2011
11:37 am
“sore losers”
“clueless morons”
dawgfan=inferiority complex.
Supersize that order, mutt
December 19th, 2011
12:29 pm
dawgfan, I can assure you that even the HST major is a harder major than any that the mutts take
News Flash
December 19th, 2011
2:54 pm
After reading multiple blog entries I have conclude – half of the posters (GT & UGA) haven’t graduated from any school and most certainly not GT or UGA. I mean really – it’s not spelling – it’s word usage.
A few would be commical but the volumn here is a tragic display of our failed public education system
Hey supersize
December 19th, 2011
2:59 pm
Your arrogance and ignorance is showing. You cannot “assure” anything without having firsthand knowledge.
damngooddawg!
December 23rd, 2011
5:08 pm
Congrats to Tech grads! Do well in life!