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Excitement was palpable and smiles were contagious as the Class of 2025 gathered on the Great Lawn Saturday morning for the 100th Conferring of Degrees, the final, much anticipated leg of their four-year journey as hard-working, high-achieving Captains.
As “Pomp and Circumstance” echoed across campus, the class–just over a thousand strong–stepped off together, winding their way from the Ferguson Center for the Arts, through the McMurran arches, and then, for the last time, to the Great Lawn. Bagpipers led the traditional procession.
Wearing caps and gowns, the graduates took their seats, ready to receive final words of wisdom from President William G. Kelly and Board of Visitors Rector Christy Morton ‘01.
The Conferring of Degrees began ceremoniously with Dr. Jay Paul, senior faculty member and Director of the Honors Program, knocking the mace three times. Faculty watched proudly as students they mentored, encouraged and instilled with knowledge prepared to take on the world.
“Today is truly a day to celebrate. We celebrate and lift up our graduates of the Class of 2025,” said President Kelly, presiding over his second spring Commencement.
“Captains, you are ready to excel in whatever you choose to do next. Whether it’s a career or graduate school, the military or the classroom, you have the skills…the hard skills and the soft skills… and you have the knowledge to thrive.
“You are a Captain and soon to be a Captain For Life because of the way you live your life and embody the core values of this University we so cherish,” he said.
The class occupies a historic place for the University, as Saturday’s event marked its 100th Conferring of Degrees.
The ceremony kicked off a day of celebration, a unique way that CNU honors graduates’ achievements, involves their families, and pays homage to the gravitas of the day.
After the Conferring of Degrees, the students prepared to begin their Grad Walks, which allow each student the opportunity to cross the stage at a set time to receive their diploma as their proud family and friends stand just feet away.
In addition, many other CNU traditions awaited the graduates, including tossing the pennies they received freshman year into the plaza fountain, ringing the Hoinkes Plaza bell, and exchanging handshakes and hugs as they made their way through the faculty gauntlet.
But before the graduates embarked on their Grad Walks and the festivities, the Conferring of Degrees was a time to come together to recognize their accomplishments as a class.
The class as a whole mastered resilience, achievement and service. They united as Captains to make their marks academically and in the community.
The class logged more than 60,000 service hours while at CNU, bringing to life the University's core values of honor, service, scholarship and leadership.
Their dedication to positive change will continue, even as the class heads out. Money raised for the Senior Class gift - $94,000 - will be used in part to renovate an outdoor space at Ferguson Center, known as both the arts garden and secret garden, so the entire community can enjoy a sanctuary of peace and beauty.
“Today we celebrate more than a diploma - we celebrate the values that brought you to today. The vigilance, the determination, and the spirit within you have shaped your journey. It was your vigilance that led you to serve your community, to lend a hand to a classmate, or share your passion with future Captains during tours,” said Rector Morton. “It was your determination that carried you through the demands of competition and academic rigor. And it was your unshakable spirit that fueled long nights of reading, writing and studying in pursuit of excellence.
“The gowns you wear today are not just a symbol of academic success - they reflect your selflessness, your compassion, your grit, and your generosity. They represent the drive that defines a Captain,” she said.
President Kelly urged the graduates to never lose sight of what powered their time as Captains and to use what they have learned at CNU to be a force of good in the world.
“Carry forth the leadership lessons you have learned over your time at CNU and build upon them as you go forward,” he said. “As you prepare to graduate today, commit to always lean on the foundation you have set through your education embedded in the liberal arts and build off the bedrock of our core values.
“Your college journey has been an incredible investment of time, talent and treasure,” he said. “I am confident all the work has paid off and I am certain you are anchored in excellence and prepared to set sail! Mrs. Kelly and I join your faculty, staff and coaches in our anticipation of what’s to come next. We weil watch with great pride as you go out into the world to lead a life of significance.”
Before the Conferring of Degrees drew to close, Kelly gave the graduates a final chance to come together in Captain spirit before they turned their tassels to become Captains for Life.
In what has come to be his trademark line, Kelly bellowed out, “As Always…”
And the class, with great joy, eagerly helped him finish the defining sentence.
“Go Captains,” they shouted back powerfully, one last time.