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Point University graduated 152 students with associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees during a limited, in-person graduation ceremony held Saturday, at New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia. It was the first physical graduation ceremony since December 2019, the event was also live-streamed on social media.

“This is a monumental achievement,” Dr. Stephen Waers ’07, chief academic officer, said as he addressed the graduates. “And it’s multiplied by the fact that you have finished in a pandemic.”

Dr. Lamar Hardwick, an Atlanta-based pastor, author and speaker, served as commencement speaker.

In a message based on the Sermon on the Mount, he encouraged the new graduates to go above and beyond in serving Christ.

“Graduation is not the end; it’s just the beginning,” Hardwick said. “In order for you to be salt and light, in order for you to stand out, Jesus is pushing all of us to do more than just what’s required. Go the extra mile.”

Harwick reflected on the uncertainty of the past year, as well as his own recent cancer diagnosis and treatment in his message to the graduates.

“Don’t you dare waste one opportunity or one single breath to passionately pursue all that God has called you to do and be. Tomorrow is not promised,” he said.

Finally, Hardwick urged the Class of 2021 to use the gifts God has given them to stand out from the crowd.

“If you just want to be good, then just do good enough,” he said. “But if you want to be great for God – if you want your years here not to be wasted – then do something great with what God has given you.”

Each year, Point University recognizes an outstanding graduate from both the residential and online programs with the Hathcock Award, the highest honor given to a graduating Point student. Named for the university’s founder, the award is given based on academic achievement, character and servant leadership.

This spring’s Hathcock Award recipients are Mary Rimmer, of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and Kelli Buchanan, of Kathleen, Georgia.

Family and friends of graduates who were unable to attend in person may access the recorded commencement ceremony on the university’s YouTube and Facebook pages. Visit point.edu/commencement for more details.