Greetings to the Class of 2025 and to parents, family members, and friends. We gather here today to celebrate an incredible milestone in the lives of these graduates. Greetings also to our wonderful faculty and staff. This day is possible because of your talent, hard work, and dedication to our students.
To our distinguished guests, Mr. Campbell Scott, Class of 1983 and today’s Commencement speaker; Mr. Robert McDonald, Class of 1973 and the speaker at yesterday’s Baccalaureate service; and Mr. Scott Myers, Class of 1979 and chair of the Lawrence University Board of Trustees, welcome and thank you.
I would also like to acknowledge the presence of Board of Trustee members the Honorable Louis Butler ’73, Dr. Cheryl Kopecky ’72, and Mr. Jon Stellmacher.
Graduates, this is truly a moment of joy. Take a deep breath and look around this beautiful setting on Main Hall Green. Take it all in—sitting shoulder to shoulder with classmates who have walked this journey with you, joined by the faculty and staff who have guided and nurtured you, and the family and friends who prepared you for and supported you along the way.
Getting to this moment is no small thing. You have earned it. You have put in the work and demonstrated the vision, tenacity, and resilience necessary to be here today, to be celebrated as graduates of Lawrence University.
When today’s ceremony concludes, you will recess through the Lawrence Arch—passing from student to alumni—and into a world filled with both uncertainty and opportunity. While the diploma alone will not guarantee you anything, the road you’ve walked and the work you’ve done as undergraduates has prepared you to lead a life of purpose and accomplishment no matter where your path takes you.
I urge you to go forth on that life journey with a boundless imagination and the wisdom to know there is still much to learn. Do so with diligence and humility and commitment, with kindness and empathy, building community wherever your feet may land.
The liberal arts education you have received at Lawrence has shown you a path to a lifetime of learning and growing. You’ll often hear alumni say that it was at Lawrence that they learned how to learn. And that carries through life, through good times and challenging times. You are now better equipped to adapt, to innovate, to think critically, and to thrive.
From lessons learned in First-Year Studies to the intellectual commitment required for your Senior Experience and everything in between, you have lived the principles of a liberal arts education—learning to read critically, think broadly, and communicate clearly and effectively across the arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
The Class of 2025 is the first class that I have had the privilege of watching grow, learn, and develop from their first day of Welcome Week to commencement, and I have gotten to know so many of you along the way. Given that these incredible graduates are part of my inaugural class, I’d ask you all to allow me a moment of grace, as my student shout-out section may be a little longer than usual.
I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with several of you as we sought to enhance the Lawrence experience and provide new pathways for student growth and development. Mattigan Haller, a triple major in Biochemistry, Biology, and Spanish, and member of the softball team, and Daryian Matthews, a double-major in Philosophy and Psychology, brought incredible wisdom to my Student Advisory Council and were instrumental in developing the concepts for Fox Commons and West Campus.
Others, like Cammy Anh Bui, who greeted me to campus with a big hug, and Ali Butler, who along with her grandfather—board member Louis Butler—visited the President’s house the summer I arrived, and Mohamed Khalil-Ben Nasr, one of the hardest working students I have ever met, and Mariana Zendejas, an incredible artist and legacy student, I met early in their first term on campus, newly-minted Lawrentians eager to make an impact in a new community. We embarked on that journey together—meeting new people, exploring downtown Appleton, and turning an unfamiliar place into our new home. It’s been an honor watching you develop into campus leaders.
And others still I got to know through their passionate commitment to extracurricular pursuits. Thomas Craley, a stand-out foil fencer for the Vikings, championed excellence in sport and in his academic and community engagements, studying forestry and preserving our nation’s precious natural resources by serving as a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service.
Kieran McDermott, an English major with a co-curricular record too long to recite, demonstrated incredible poise while working with the administration as a representative of CODA and as a student member of the university’s Federal Action Task Force, providing a crucial student voice as our community navigated the potential impacts of recent changes to federal policy.
Cindy Kaiser, a triple major in psychology, flute, and music education, showed leadership and kindness during a challenging time, reminding me that, in contentious moments, there is always grace in fellowship.
Richie LaCien and Edan Perez, both business and entrepreneurship majors who always had a kind word and smile to share while leading on campus through participation in KidsGive and baseball.
And MinJun Kim, a computer science major who developed a campus safety app that we will begin using on-campus next year.
And, while these individual achievements reflect brilliance in their own right, we know that we shine brighter together.
Seniors involved in student organizations, ensembles, and athletic teams have had an incredible run at Lawrence as well. Nearly a dozen graduates were recognized for their ensemble performances by Downbeat earlier this year, continuing to further the Conservatory’s legacy in its 150th anniversary year.
This year, our softball team secured a berth in the conference tournament for the first time in a decade. Our women’s soccer program clinched both their conference season and the conference tournament for the first time in program history.
And members of our graduating Posse Scholarship cohort—Braden, Daisha, Michael, Seckou, Hayleen, Mali, Bruna, Gregory, A.J., and Nathaniel—are crossing the stage after leaving this campus with a legacy of leadership, music, dance, joy, and humanity.
These are just a few examples of brilliance from this amazing class.
As you walk the Commencement stage today, do so knowing that you are now a member of an alumni community more than 22,000 strong. It is a community that will support you and applaud you every step of the way.
When we say Forever a Lawrentian, we mean Forever a Lawrentian. Today’s send-off is not a good-bye. It is more of a … we’ll see you again soon. Lawrence will forever be part of your lives.
Embrace this community of learners and leaders. I encourage you to make the effort to stay connected even as the miles and years and life experiences separate you. Find solace and inspiration from your fellow Lawrentians.
We know there is a lot of pain in this world.
We see it and feel it and live it, and there are days when it can crush our spirit. Don’t ever navigate that alone. Lean into your Lawrentian family for strength.
Let them be a source of comfort amid challenges and your biggest cheerleaders amid life’s victories.
Parents, guardians, families, and friends, we also celebrate you today. No one walks this journey alone. Your contributions and sacrifices have helped your graduate reach this day. Your guidance and support going forward will be no less valuable. Graduates, please join me in thanking your support team for all they’ve done. And to the dads in the audience, we celebrate you today. Happy Father’s Day.
To the Class of 2025, on behalf of the full faculty and staff of this university, I wish you the very best. You are ready to do amazing things.
Go forth and put your imprint on a world that so badly needs the intellect, creativity, inspiration, and compassion of you and your fellow Lawrentians.
To all of you, congratulations.
It is now my honor to present our 2025 senior class speaker, Bruna Velez.
Bruna is an international relations major from New York City who has been a leader on campus in so many ways over the past four years. She has served as president of Lawrence’s Model United Nations team, worked with the Office of Advancement to connect with alumni through our Forever a Lawrentian campaign, been active in sorority life, was a member of the cheer and dance teams, and was an enthusiastic and supportive participant in the Posse Foundation program.
She studied abroad in Rome and secured summer internships in New York and Washington, D.C., all with a focus on being an impactful global citizen.
And last month, Bruna was among the student dancers featured in “Gather Together,” the original dance performance presented so beautifully by choreographer Robert Battle as part of the inaugural Creator in Residence program. Bruna’s post-graduation plans include working as a paralegal before beginning law school.
Please join me in welcoming this year’s senior class speaker, Bruna Velez.