18-05-2025
SLU grads told to go forth and serve
May 18—CANTON — The Brockville Pipe and Drums entered Newell Field House on Sunday morning, quieting the large crowd of graduates, family and friends waiting for the 2025 St. Lawrence University commencement to begin.
The traditional processional gave way to stormy weather, and students went to their seats while the rest of the crowd settled in.
St. Lawrence University President Kate Morris greeted the graduates.
"Commencement is one of our proudest days on campus," she said. "It is also a day that illustrates how far you've come together. Take a moment to look around you: this is the caring, hard-working, high-achieving, adventure-loving, open-hearted community you have created."
Morris shared details with the class that illustrated how they immersed themselves in the university.
"The most popular programs of study for this year's graduates are our majors in Business in the Liberal Arts, Psychology, Economics, Performance & Communication Arts, and Biology. Over a third of you pursued more than one major and over half of you declared one or more minors," she said.
Morris said she was sure the class was bound for success.
"Graduates, individually and as a class-you have much to be proud of. You've engaged in scholarship that is rigorous, personal, interdisciplinary, and bold. You've learned to respectfully share ideas across differences and you have pushed outside your comfort zones to take on new challenges on campus and beyond. You are the thoughtful, innovative, hard-working and clear-thinking researchers, creators, teachers, leaders, and citizens our world needs.
Professor of education Jeff Frank delivered the faculty address.
Frank said he loved St. Lawrence University.
"In a world that feels more turbulent and confusing with each passing day, SLU is a place with a mission and core values that can serve as your true north," he said
Frank said the school's mission calls on instructors to take their students seriously.
"As I thought about what I wanted to say to you today, I kept coming back to key values that emerged from the Commission on Laurentian Values and Resilient Community: listen, respect and engage.
Under the heading of listen, he told the graduates not to be manipulated by misinformation, influencers and loud angry voices.
"Claim your freedom by listening for truth, trusting that truth often shows up in the least expected places," he said.
Regarding respect, he said differences are what keep life from being dull.
"At St. Lawrence, our differences make us stronger," he said. "Just look at these graduates. Though all Laurentians, the diversity of their talents and backgrounds is staggering. The diversity of potential, promise and purpose in this room is cause for celebration."
Frank said that students need to be open to each other to engage.
"Students who may think they have nothing in common learn that they share a passion," he said. "Students build bridges of interest, compassion and friendship."
Frank's experience with the Class of 2025 has given him confidence.
"The students I have been fortunate enough to work with at St. Lawrence give me tremendous hope. Though no Laurention is the same, thank goodness, each of you has been prepared to make your mark on the world.
Graduating senior Isabelle Reiniger delivered an emotional commencement speech to the Class of 2025, chronicling her transformative college journey from initial uncertainty to profound appreciation.
Reiniger candidly shared her early collegiate struggles, revealing she once considered dropping out during her freshman year.
Highlighting unexpected moments of joy, she recalled the historic first snow day in the university's recent history and the small, meaningful experiences that defined their shared academic experience. Reiniger emphasized gratitude, thanking faculty, staff, families, and fellow students who supported her journey.
"We grew here together, even through long winters, literal and otherwise," Reiniger told her classmates, encouraging them to carry their shared experiences forward.
In his winning Joan Donovan Speech Contest address, Pedro Yupa, Class of 2025, delivered a powerful message about community, equity, and collective success.
"Let's reject the gospel of greed, and let's start preaching action over apathy, compassion over cruelty, empathy over exploitation, hope over hatred, people over profits," he said.
Yupa, from Queens, challenged traditional notions of individual achievement, advocating instead for a vision of progress that prioritizes people over profits. Drawing from his own background and educational journey, he urged graduates to dream beyond personal gain and work towards building a more inclusive, compassionate world that lifts up entire communities rather than celebrating isolated exceptions.
"I don't stand here as someone who made it. I stand here as someone who was carried by family, by community, by struggle, and now it is our turn to carry others," he said
St. Lawrence University awarded Mike Ranger, Class of 1980 with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Ranger spoke passionately about the university as his "soul place," describing it as more than just a physical location but a profound source of personal growth and inspiration. He highlighted the importance of relationships, sharing personal anecdotes illustrating how chance encounters and supportive networks shaped his professional journey.
"The foundation of everything you need to flourish and prosper is here today — your parents, family, beloved faculty members, coaches and administrators, your friends and classmates, and network of alumni," he said.
Referencing a stained glass window in Gunnison Chapel that is inscribed "Go Forth to Serve," Granger urged graduates to embrace meaningful experiences beyond career achievements. He credited St. Lawrence with providing a foundation of curiosity, relationship-building, and community engagement.
"My experience was filled with a series of adventures, choices and wonder, the philosophy of curiosity, the willingness to build challenges and to build strong relationships," he said.
Ranger, who has served on the university's Board of Trustees since 1993, emphasized the transformative potential of educational institutions in shaping individual and collective futures.
"In so many ways, St. Lawrence launched this opportunity and traveled with me on this journey," he said.
