Nearly 2,000 degrees and certificates were awarded during the ҹɫÊÓƵ’s two Winter Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Lawlor Events Center.
President Brian Sandoval lauded the graduates for their accomplishments, noting that their hard work had lifted the University to one of its most notable moments in the institution’s 151-year history.
“We are ascendant at this moment in our history because all of you have made the choice to lift everyone around you through your commitment to our cherished values. You’ve made good on an educational imperative that in order to be a national university, you must first and foremost have people who are unforgettable in their talent, unrelenting in their devotion to building community, and relentlessly courageous in their commitment to lifting others for the benefit of society." – President Sandoval
“We are ascendant at this moment in our history because all of you have made the choice to lift everyone around you through your commitment to our cherished values,” he said. “You’ve made good on an educational imperative that in order to be a national university, you must first and foremost have people who are unforgettable in their talent, unrelenting in their devotion to building community, and relentlessly courageous in their commitment to lifting others for the benefit of society.
“This is all of you, Class of 2025. Every single one of you.”
Sandoval said the University was a “singular institution” because of its ability to produce graduates like the ones who were celebrating conferral of their degrees on Saturday, “people who have soaring talent, deep, gritty determination, and an abiding respect for all people.”
He added, “And through the inspiration of the ideals of this University, you, our graduating class of 2025, will go forth and make our world a better place. A place where we live together as a Pack, peacefully, as one. A place where we can still find alignment between our deeply-held beliefs and a shared vision for our future. A place where a legacy of ambition will guide you throughout your lives as you become our next generation of leaders.
“Let this be your lighthouse – the Silver and Blue light – that will illuminate the many roads you are going to travel, the destinations that you will discover … the life you will lead as you lead others.” – President Sandoval
“Let this be your lighthouse – the Silver and Blue light – that will illuminate the many roads you are going to travel, the destinations that you will discover … the life you will lead as you lead others.”
The University’s two Winter Commencement ceremonies, which expanded from one ceremony for Winter Commencement due to the growing sizes of graduating classes in 2021, were held in the morning and afternoon on Saturday, with the conferral of 1,997 degrees and certificates, including 1,295 bachelor’s degrees, 670 advanced degrees (master’s and doctoral degrees) and 32 certificates. The University’s first Winter Commencement was held on Dec. 5, 1992, when the institution’s Spring Commencement was deemed to have grown too large.
ASUN President Carmina Aglubat told the graduates that, “the world we are stepping into is undeniably complex. We are living in a moment where our nation is marked by tension, transition and profound questionings. … Each of us is shaped by the era we inhabit – and each of us has a responsibility to understand, navigate and live through it with intention.”
Every degree awarded on Saturday, Aglubat said, “Will be tested in courage. Whether you work in a hospital, school, business office, lab, courtroom or a community organization, you will be asked to make decisions that reflect not just what you know, but who you are.”
Ratchanya Dev Chinnappan, president of the Graduate Student Association, spoke about the many challenges, both serious and humorous, that the graduates had overcome in their time at the University.
“College taught us more than formulas, theories and citations,” Chinnappan said. “It taught us how to look awake while running on two hours of sleep. How to speed-walk across campus like Olympians. How to survive with 47 Chrome tabs open – all critical. And how to write like an expert while internally screaming.”
More seriously, though, Chinnappan offered some heartfelt advice as the graduates turned toward the next chapter in their lives: “Be bold – like the student who chose an 8 a.m. class. Be courageous – like the student who presented without slides. Be humble – like the rest of us who still don’t understand APA format. And be kind – because you never who is surviving on vibes alone.”
In addition to the conferral of degrees, Maysun Adair was presented with the Herz Gold Medal, the University’s oldest and most prestigious student award, which was originally established in 1910 by brothers Richard, Carl and Otto Herz. The Herz Gold Medal is presented at each Commencement to the graduating senior with the highest GPA. Since 2011 the Thelma B. and Thomas P. Hart Foundation, through the ҹɫÊÓƵ Foundation, have funded the award. Adair graduated from the Orvis School of Nursing with a bachelor of science degree in Nursing with a minor in Public Health.
