09-05-2025
ECU Celebrates 2025 Spring graduation
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)– Thousands of graduates accompanied by their families and friends celebrated East Carolina University's Spring graduation ceremony on Friday, May 9th at Dowdy-Ficklen stadium.
Greenville native and ECU alumnus, John May '93, served as the keynote speaker for the commencement ceremony.
May is the founder and managing partner of CORE Industrial Partners, a private equity firm with approximately $2 billion in assets under management. Since its founding in 2017, CORE has become one of the fastest-growing firms in the industry, investing exclusively in lower middle-market manufacturing, industrial technology and industrial services businesses. The firm has offices in Chicago, Austin, Texas, and Cleveland.
May spoke about leading with your faith, believing in yourself, working hard, and loving those that love you. He said these are all crucial in life and have helped get him where he is today.
Some pirate graduates are staying in Greenville after graduation whether it be working for ECU, a hotel in Greenville, or a remote small business. No matter where the class of 2025 goes, they will have the wind of pirate nation in their sails.
'I think that it's very surreal for me because I'm neurodiverse so I have five learning disabilities and to be able to graduate for my master's degree when people predicted that I wouldn't have gone to college, it's a really big deal to me and my family,' Lydia Pinto, earning her Masters of Recreation Sciences said.
'Pirate nation has given me a wealth of opportunity, study abroad, getting the chance to work for the university full time now and then just meeting so many wonderful people along the way. My biggest piece of advice is networking all the way through. Talk to as many people as you can. Pirate Nation runs deep, and the purple and gold run deep,' Meaghan Skelly, earning her Master of Arts and Strategic Communication said.
'I'd like to thank my mom and my dad, they helped me through school and life,' Justin Livernois, earning his bachelor's degree in communications said.
More commencement ceremonies are taking place throughout the day Friday, and into Saturday for the individual colleges and majors. You can find more information on this year's commencement and graduates in the video above or here.
Don't miss out on other University Commencement Ceremonies this weekend including UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, and Pitt Community College.
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