{"690141":{"#nid":"690141","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Father-Daughter Double Jacket Duo  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherman Lofton Jr. has been a Yellow Jacket for more than 40 years, as a student, alumnus, and employee, currently serving as the senior director of cybersecurity operations. He arrived on campus in 1984 and earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in management in 1990, and he never imagined that decades later he\u2019d be graduating with a master\u2019s degree from Tech on the same day as his daughter.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherman hadn\u2019t considered that any of his four daughters would follow in his footsteps at Tech, but when the youngest, Shaina, expressed interest in architecture, he was elated to learn that she planned on applying to his alma mater. The day she received her acceptance letter is one that Sherman ranks among his favorite Tech-related memories. Now, the pair will share another unforgettable memory at Commencement as Shaina \u2014 who graduated with a bachelor\u2019s degree in 2024 \u2014 earns her master\u2019s degree in architecture, and Sherman graduates with his MBA.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne factor that brought Shaina back to Tech for graduate school was the chance to share a campus with her father. Sherman knew he\u2019d have to take on extra hours to make sure they graduated at the same time. As the day nears, he sees the hard work paying off.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was hard, but I always knew it was going to be worth it to share this moment of becoming a Double Jacket with Shaina,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cMy heart is so full. I\u2019m just so proud of her and everything she has accomplished, and to be able to share this spotlight with her \u2014 I couldn\u0027t have written that script any better.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShaina calls her family\u2019s emphasis on education a blessing and says their support and stories of the life lessons learned at Tech led her here.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI knew how great a school Georgia Tech was through my dad, my mom, and my aunt. They all wore Georgia Tech with pride, and going to Tech games and meeting their friends was such a huge part of my childhood. My sisters and I are all very academically motivated, and I wanted to go to an institution that was innovative and world-renowned because I felt like I was going to finally be challenged,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGrowing up, Shaina recalls her dad helping her with her math homework and always being there when she needed help with an essay. During graduate school, the two supported one another with texts before finals and presentations, and they frequently talked about their course load at family gatherings.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EFamily Legacy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherman was the first Lofton to enroll at Tech, but the family\u2019s history with the Institute began when his father, Sherman Lofton Sr., applied for admission before the school\u2019s desegregation in 1961.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI regret that my dad didn\u2019t get the chance to attend Tech. He was the best mathematician I ever knew, but he knew that Shaina was here and that I was starting my program, and he was excited. I wish he, as well as my stepfather, were here to see us, but this day means so much for our family,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cI got to Tech when I was 18 and could never have anticipated that it would be such an integral part of my life, and to think that gets passed down to another generation brings me so much joy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe death of her grandfathers is something that Shaina carried with her throughout her educational journey.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy dad lost two of his father figures, and I lost two grandpas, and that hit our family hard, but I think it really motivated us to get through graduate school and finish together and do this not only for us and each other, but for our family too,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter Commencement, Shaina will begin working with HDR, an architecture firm in Midtown, where she\u2019ll work on the design of hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. While her time as a student at Tech is ending, Shaina knows that she\u2019ll share the same lifelong love for the Institute that her father has shared with her.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI grew up with my \u2018aunts\u2019 and \u2018uncles\u2019 that my parents went to school with, and my favorite moments at Tech were realizing that I was meeting the people who will become those same figures in my kids\u0027 lives in the future. It\u2019s amazing to know that this cycle that started with my parents will continue,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Loftons are happy to celebrate graduation season, but Shaina knows there is more excitement on the horizon.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cComing from a family that values education so much, and one that supports each other and encourages each other constantly, this is a moment that may feel like a finish line, but I know Loftons \u2014 we always keep running,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I can\u2019t wait for the great things to come after this.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Nearly four decades after graduating with his bachelor\u2019s degree from Georgia Tech, Sherman Lofton Jr. will become a Double Jacket on the same day as his daughter.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENearly four decades after graduating with his bachelor\u2019s degree from Georgia Tech, Sherman Lofton Jr. will become a Double Jacket on the same day as his daughter.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nearly four decades after graduating with his bachelor\u2019s degree from Georgia Tech, Sherman Lofton Jr. will become a Double Jacket on the same day as his daughter.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-05-05 18:06:08","changed_gmt":"2026-05-05 18:17:25","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680174":{"id":"680174","type":"image","title":"Sherman and Shaina Lofton ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFather and daughter, Sherman and Shaina Lofton, will each graduate with a master\u0027s degree this spring. Submitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778004689","gmt_created":"2026-05-05 18:11:29","changed":"1778004689","gmt_changed":"2026-05-05 18:11:29","alt":"Sherman and Shaina Lofton ","file":{"fid":"264416","name":"loftons_720.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/loftons_720.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/loftons_720.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":277285,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/05\/loftons_720.jpg?itok=T0Nk-RBb"}}},"media_ids":["680174"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu","title":"Spring Commencement Information "}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167101","name":"Spring Commencement"},{"id":"26981","name":"masters degree"},{"id":"67881","name":"Tuition Assistance Program"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}