2019 marks an unprecedented time in the history of Clayton State University. It is our 50th anniversary––a moment in which we can reflect on our past triumphs and look forward to a bright future for this institution and its students.

In 1969, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia forged a relationship with the Clayton County community to establish a center of higher education to serve the growing population in the southern metro Atlanta region. Now, 50 years later, we bear witness to the fruits of that decision.

Our program offerings have grown to include undergraduate and graduate degrees in several high-demand career sectors including healthcare, information technology, supply chain and film.

We have been recognized for offering an affordable education, earning the distinction of being one of the best value public universities in Georgia by James Magazine for the last five years. And we are a seven-time winner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Best Workplaces Award, an accomplishment that reinforces our commitment to invest in our faculty and staff.

We continue to make a significant impact on the economy in the Southern Crescent region year after year, most recently at more than $283 million, underlying the value our institution has added to the communities surrounding our campus.

Spivey Hall, Clayton State’s premier performing arts venue, has gained national and international recognition for presenting renowned musicians in classical and jazz, while offering innovative and culturally focused arts education to Atlanta’s youth.

Student-athletes continue to demonstrate a champion mindset both in competition and in the classroom. Athletics has produced an incredible 18 Peach Belt Conference regular season championships in its 29-year history. In May of this year, Athletics was awarded the Peach Belt Conference Presidents' Academic Award, the first in the program’s history.

And we have graduated more than 25,000 students who have gone on to become leaders in their workplaces and communities.

Clayton State University has truly distinguished itself as a place where dreams are made real.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “progress” as a forward or onward movement.

As Clayton State prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, let us continue to progress, guided by our mission to empower our students to be critical thinkers prepared for the careers that lie ahead.

We see progress in the partnerships we have cultivated with companies like Mailchimp and the Coca-Cola Foundation to create rich student learning experiences.

We influence progress within the more than 100 community organizations, non-profits and small businesses our students have supported through our Partnering Academics with Community Engagement (PACE) classroom initiative.

We demonstrate progress in the academic scholarship produced by our faculty, be it a new book that explores the history of African American achievement in management practices, or the discovery of archives of soldiers who served and perished in World War I.

We foster progress through the number of graduates who have gone on to work for Fortune 500 companies, tech enterprises, Georgia’s healthcare systems or public servants under the gold dome in downtown Atlanta.

Engagement, inclusion, community and students will continue to be at the forefront of all we do at Clayton State.

Those are the dreams we make real.