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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.This weekend, campuses across the University of Pittsburgh system recognized the latest class of graduates. Friends, family, faculty and staff gathered at commencement ceremonies to see off the new alumni, who threw their mortar boards, sang “Sweet Caroline” and even wielded lightsabers in celebration.
“It’s your graduation day, and we couldn’t be more proud to celebrate with you,” said Chancellor Joan Gabel at the Pittsburgh ceremony on May 4. “It’s been a special honor for all of us to walk beside you on this journey, knowing that you leave here with everything you need for a successful career, for a healthy life and for a life well-lived, in ways that will unfold for you. You’ve leaned learned a lot and endured a lot, but you are resilient, resourceful and inspiring. Congratulations!”
[Meet 6 determined students from Pitt’s Class of 2025.]
The University also conferred an honorary doctoral degree on the day’s distinguished speaker, Larry Fitzgerald, a former Pitt football and NFL star as well as a recognized philanthropist, investor and business leader. Along with giving a special reading of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, he told the crowd that his time at the University had given him lasting relationships and prepared him to adapt to all of life’s highs and lows.
“Remember, you don’t run this race alone. Everyone you meet is carrying dreams and battles you can’t see,” Fitzgerald said in his address. “So be kind. Be curious. Be human. Because this world isn’t just about your story. It’s about how your story weaves into others. It’s about building something together.”
[Pitt awarded top University honors to two seniors.]
The Pittsburgh ceremony was held for the first time at PPG Paints Arena to accommodate the University’s largest-ever graduating class with more than 5,000 students. Zachary Shafer, a David C. Frederick Honors College student who graduated with a degree in physics and astronomy from the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, delivered the student address.
“Sometimes it’s easy for us to feel like we’re all tiny, miniscule specks of this universe,” he told the crowd. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell, but everything around us is built on the hard work of people just like you and I, with different skills and abilities like those we’ve learned during our time here.”
Also on Sunday, Pitt-Bradford celebrated 183 students, including Mychal Berlinski, the campus’ first energy engineering technology graduate, and Blake Pretash, a criminal justice major who is heading to the Pennsylvania State Police Academy. Several members of the class — made up of 16% biology majors and 13% exercise science majors — will continue their education in graduate school and enter the health sciences profession.
Pitt-Greensburg held two ceremonies for its 213 graduates on May 3. Among the scholars recognized were three co-valedictorians — Jordan Gilbert, Haily Kepner and Nicole Pawlowski — and the first graduates of the Fredrick Honors College at Pitt-Greensburg — Julie Kevicki, Sadie Lewis and Olivia Petry. Col. Nancy Anderson, an author who served as a battalion commander and base commander for the U.S. Marines, delivered a personalized address to both ceremonies.
Also Saturday, ABC News correspondent Stephanie Ramos addressed the Class of 2025 at Pitt-Johnstown. And Pitt-Titusville recognized its five Associate of Science in Nursing degree recipients — all from Pennsylvania — during a May 3 pinning ceremony.
Top photo by Tom Altany