Under the bright sunshine of late summer, first-year students excitedly looked ahead to their future on Emory’s Atlanta campus as they gathered Monday for the third-annual Gate Crossing + Coke Toast.
Waving Emory pennants and clad in matching T-shirts, members of the Class of 2028 walked through the iconic Haygood-Hopkins Gate together, with faculty, staff, fellow students and alumni cheering them on. They proceeded to the Quad, where President Gregory L. Fenves led them in a Coca-Cola Toast.
“You are here on the quad as you begin your journey at Emory,” Fenves told students. “Think about four years from now. You are going to be here on the quad as you graduate from Emory University. It is going to be a continuous process of learning and growing, starting here and ending here.”
The president noted that the toast honors the legacy of Robert W. Woodruff, the late philanthropist and legendary leader of The Coca-Cola Company, a major benefactor whose generosity has helped Emory to “be the great university that we are.”
To the Emory Class of 2028, congratulations!” Fenves said, as bottles clinked and students cheered. “I can’t wait to see all that you do.”
Photos by Kay Hinton, Daniel Kumi and Sarah Woods of Emory Photo/Video.
