After about a million repeats of Elgar’s “Pomp & Circumstance,” students graduated from Eastern University at The Mann Center in Philly. These graduates included undergraduates, associates, master’s, PhDs and honorary PhDs, all with a mixture of online and fully in-person students. Each student marked their years of hard work by walking across the stage, shaking Ron Matthews (gloved) hand and grabbing their diploma (cover).
To start the ceremony, Dr. Steven Ford and Rev. Perry Brisbon led the crowd in a hymn, singing “Great is Thy Faithfulness” powerfully. President Matthews welcomed each crowd by telling the graduates to stand up and for their friends and family to cheer for them. When that was done, he then told them to do it better. There was so much joy and celebration in that pavilion; it felt like it was shaking with cheer.
The verse reading was Jonah 2:1-10, which is when Jonah prays to God, even while in the belly of the fish. For many graduates, stepping into the real world after earning a degree can feel like Jonah in the deep. Verses 8-9 say, “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’” These graduates were dedicating their degrees to doing good for God by upholding Eastern’s mission of faith, reason and justice, even as they move on from Eastern. Throughout the three commencement services, the readings were read in English, Spanish and Arabic by graduates, showing Eastern’s diversity and unity.
Every commencement had a student nominated to speak to the congregation. Ashley Spracken, a College of Health and Sciences graduate, said, “Embrace discomfort, step into the unknown with courage and curiosity.” Leah Laut, an undergrad history major, urged the graduates to “carry that spirit of community, the one that we’ve come to know so well at Eastern, with us through every door that we walk through and remember that hope is always strongest to practice together.” All of the graduates reminded us to lean on each other in times of adversity.
Turning Point, Eastern’s auditioned choir, had its graduates and current members sing “You Do Not Walk Alone,” which continued on the theme of community and togetherness. Led by Brisbon, the students performed an angelic song, wishing that the graduates would see “God’s light on the path ahead when the road you walk is dark” in their future as they step into the world of adulthood.
Then President Matthews took to the podium to congratulate the graduating class of 2025, urging them to stand up so that their friends and family could whoop and hollar at the achievement we were all there to celebrate. I can only describe The Mann as being filled with joy for those humans in caps and gowns as thunderous applause roared around them.
Next, the commencement address was delivered by Lord Marvin Rees, who graduated in 2001 from Eastern University’s Economic Development Program. He was the Mayor of Bristol, UK, from 2016 to 2024, and was the first person of Black African heritage to be elected as mayor of a major European city. He has several honorary degrees from the University of Bristol, Swansea University, the University of Pennsylvania and, on May 10, Eastern University joined the ranks of bestowing him with the privilege of an honorary degree.
Rees congratulated the graduates for carrying on the dreams of their families and loved ones. Rees, being an advocate for social justice, advised the graduates on how to live out Eastern’s mission of faith, reason and justice by doing good in the world as “custodians of the values of this university.” Rees urged our graduates to continue into the world with intellectual curiosity and that we “urgently need good people to get adequate answers to those questions.” Rees told our graduates, justice is about a better world, and to get to a better world, you must “be determined to be good people. Do good.”
With that closing, the class of 2025 walked across the stage into a new chapter of adulthood for them, to do good, by the power of faith, reason and justice.
Josh Steen 
Hannah Bonanducci