Georgia Military College (GMC) celebrated Mother’s Day last Friday inside the Center for Leadership.
Beginning the ceremony, a number of cadets earned the Service Leadership Award, recognizing GMC students who have volunteered at least 100 hours of community service in a year. The award consists of a medal and certificate signed by the president of GMC, Lt. Gen.
William B. Caldwell, IV, USA (Ret).
Caldwell introduced the ceremony, remarking that the day’s events were about recognizing not only mothers but motherly figures.
“Those women who have devoted their lives to doing something for someone else,” said Caldwell.
Caldwell asked the mothers and motherly figures in the audience to stand and Center of Leadership offered them a round of applause for their continued support to their children and family members.
“Today was going to be Pam’s (keynote speaker) last parade after all these years. So, to make the day special her daughters, Jessica and Juliana, made the trip to be here,” said Caldwell. “The great thing about working in an educational institution is that everyone takes on a role like that too. They also believe in and understand the impact they can have on young people.”
Assistant Superintendent of Georgia Military College Preparatory School Col.
Pam Grant served as keynote speaker for the event. Grant recently retired from her full-time position at GMC Prep after 37 years of service.
She began her career as an English and history teacher and eventually became the first female principal of GMC Prep.
Upon her retirement, she is serving in a parttime role to still provide support to GMC and its students.
“Col. Pam Grant has served as a guiding light and mother figure to countless students over the years,” states the GMC Prep Facebook page.
Grant shared a speech with the students regarding the positive impact of a mother and her own mother’s impact on her life. Her mother grew up during the Great Depression and made ends meet. According to Grant, her mother realized she did not want to struggle in her life the way she had growing up and saw education as the path to ensure that goal.
“Education was the key to open any door they dreamed of entering,” Grant stated as she shared the story of her mother’s achievements from high school to becoming a teacher who inspired her students. “I do not doubt my mother’s passion for education and young people played a major role in why I felt called to follow in her footsteps.”
Grant said that her mother instilled three things into her and her siblings to always strive for. These three things are attainable by everyone and a lesson she wanted to pass on to her audience.
“The first was to always be kind. Everyone God created, whether the world deemed the lowly or super important, deserve to be treated with kindness. The second was to always have a positive attitude … and the last one is that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth giving 110% to it,” said Grant. “These lessons, though simple, have been my compass and I believe they can serve you, too.”
Closing the ceremony, Grant received the GMC Colors in recognition of her leadership, devotion, example and service to the community of Milledgeville and GMC Prep.