Fort Valley State University
09/25/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/25/2025 22:06
Fort Valley State University Celebrates Ribbon Cutting of New “Pavilion of Possibilities”
Fort Valley State University Celebrates Ribbon Cutting of New "Pavilion of Possibilities"
by Kasyana Bouie
Posted on Sep 25, 2025
Fort Valley, GA - Fort Valley State University (FVSU) proudly celebrated the ribbon cutting of its new "Pavilion of Possibilities," a milestone project made possible through The Home Depot's Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant program.
For the first time in the school's history, FVSU competed in the national competition and secured a spot in the top ten of Cluster 2, earning a $40,000 grant to fund the project. What set this win apart was the energy behind it: students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends united to cast daily votes, host late-night voting parties, and amplify the campaign across social media.
Over the course of four days, members of the Wildcat family partnered with The Home Depot team to construct the pavilions, creating new outdoor spaces designed for connection, learning and celebration.
"This victory was truly a team effort," said Britney Smith, executive director of Marketing and Communications. "We made history together - from being the very first school to cast a vote when the competition opened, to FVSU winning for the first time, to building the pavilions alongside The Home Depot-Warner Robins team. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and volunteers showed up to make this vision a reality. This is Wildcat Excellence personified."
The ribbon cutting ceremony featured remarks from Smith, Jazmin Thomas-Pullen, marketing and communications manager, Aniya Warfield, marketing and communications intern, Walter Gill, assistant store manager at The Home Depot, and President Paul A. Jones, Ph.D. In a special moment, President Jones also announced that FVSU has been ranked the #1 Public HBCU in Georgia for eight consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report and is #1 in Georgia for social mobility.
The Retool Your School program, which has invested more than $12.1 million into HBCUs over the past 15 years, recognized FVSU as both a first-time grant recipient and the first school to cast a vote in the 2024 competition.
With the Pavilion of Possibilities, Fort Valley State University gains not only beautiful new gathering spaces but also a lasting symbol of what can be achieved when the Wildcat family works together.
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Fort Valley State University published this content on September 25, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 26, 2025 at 04:06 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]