Photos above (L-R) Lily Gauntt and Elizabeth Williams. Photos courtesy of Georgia College & State University

Georgia College & State University distributed the following announcement that two Walton High School graduates, Lily Gauntt and Elizabeth Williams, are valedictorians for the university’s Class of 2025:

Literature and World languages double major Lily Gauntt and nursing major Elizabeth “Liz” Williams are among the 12 valedictorians in the Georgia College & State University Class of 2025. Georgia College valedictorians are students who complete their academic career with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. 

Lily Gauntt double majored earning a Bachelor of Arts in both English Literature and World Languages & Cultures, concentrating in French. She also earned a minor in Information Studies. Gauntt served as a French language tutor and is a student assistant in the Georgia College Special Collections. Gauntt’s time in the collections has inspired her to pursue a career in archival work. She was an active member of the John H. Sallstrom Honors College and Sigma Tau Delta English honor society.

Elizabeth “Liz” Williams will earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Williams is an active member of the John H. Sallstrom Honors College and the Georgia Association of Nursing Students. Williams’ hometown is Marietta, Georgia. Williams completed numerous nursing practicums, as well as an externship at Northside Cherokee in the NICU. Williams is a sister of Kappa Delta sorority.

Both Gauntt and Williams are alumnae of George Walton Comprehensive High School.

A total of 1,425 students from four academic colleges graduated from Georgia College commencement ceremonies this weekend. The class of 2025 included students earning bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees. Members of the class hail from 16 different states, as well as several countries internationally.

About Georgia College

Located in Milledgeville, Georgia, Georgia College & State University is one of three selective admission institutions in the University System of Georgia, along with Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia.

With an enrollment of nearly 7,100 students from 150 of Georgia’s 159 counties, GCSU was ranked sixth among all public regional universities in the South – and first among schools in Georgia — in the US News & World Report’s 2025 rankings.

Since 2022, GCSU has also produced the No. 1 academic success rate among all NCAA Division II colleges and universities in the country.

Hands-on learning opportunities at the university are available in top undergraduate majors, including Business, Nursing, Education, Psychology, Exercise Science and Communications, plus dozens of graduate programs and a pre-med mentoring pathway with 15 years of 100% success in medical school admission.

For more information, visit https://www.gcsu.edu, or visit Front Page for the latest university news.