By Alex Dunn

Graduation is coming up fast with only two weeks to go. It will be filled with smiles, cheer and also one very prominent commencement speaker, Gov. Nathan Deal.

VSU’s President Richard Carvajal sent an email to the faculty and staff last Friday, announcing the big news. He expressed how exciting it is to have a notable speaker inspire graduates.

“This is truly an exciting time for VSU, and that special night – complete with smiles, hugs, fireworks and now the Governor – will be an awesome celebration,” Carvajal said in the email.

Deal, 74, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a democrat in 1992 but became part of the Republican Party in 1995, according to his website. He announced his resignation from Congress and won the election for Governor in 2011 and is the 82nd and current governor of Georgia.

Deal is only the third commencement speaker in VSU history since the recent change to graduation ceremonies, where commencement was divided into two days to celebrate graduates and undergraduates.

VSU has lacked famous commencement speakers in its history, as The Spectator noted in 2011. Speakers for the graduate ceremonies included a faculty senate representative, vice president of academic affairs, an SGA representative and five deans of colleges.