A Celebration of Purpose and Promise

Under the bright spring sky at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the air shimmered with anticipation. More than 19,000 family members, friends, faculty, and alumni gathered to celebrate a milestone: the graduation of the Pace University Class of 2025. Over the course of two days—Monday, May 19, and Tuesday, May 20—students crossed the stage, memories were made, and words of wisdom echoed across Queens.

This year’s Commencement ceremonies featured an inspiring lineup of speakers whose messages centered around themes of transformation, resilience, leadership, and hope.

A Life of Choice

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At the main ceremony, Etsy CEO Josh Silverman stood before the sea of graduates, reflecting on his own winding path through the tech industry. From eBay to Skype to his current leadership at Etsy, Silverman has spent decades helping to build global platforms—but on this day, his focus was the personal journeys of the 3,218 new graduates.

“The diploma you’re about to receive offers you a life of choice,” Silverman told the crowd. “The only person you should be trying to impress now is yourself. Don’t be a passive actor in your own life. How do you want to measure yourself? What would make you truly proud?”

"You may not be able to clearly see the opportunities ahead, but you will seize them, shape them, and even create them.”

He paused, letting the message settle. “Sitting here, you may not be able to clearly see the opportunities ahead,” he continued, “but you will seize them, shape them, and even create them.”

Silverman was awarded an honorary doctorate during the ceremony—one of several presented over the two days. His remarks set the tone for a weekend that blended celebration with inspiration, personal stories with professional advice.

Messages from the Pace Community

At Monday’s undergraduate ceremonies, graduates from across Pace’s schools heard from distinguished alumni who had once stood in their shoes.

Cooper Koch ’18, a Golden Globe–nominated actor, returned to address students from Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, the Sands College of Performing Arts, and the School of Education. His message was one of self-acceptance and personal strength.

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“You can never let anyone, or any amount of success or failure, define your self-worth. You define your worth by being true to yourself. By showing up for yourself,” Koch said. “No external measurement can tell you who you are—that’s up to you to decide.”

Later that day, Dr. Launette Woolforde ’93, deputy chief nursing officer at Northwell Health, took the stage for graduates from the Lubin School of Business, College of Health Professions, and the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

“Integrity, graduates, is arguably in short supply, and we are all counting on you to restore it.”

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“The world doesn’t just need more plain, old educated people,” she said. “It needs thoughtful people. It needs courageous people. People who will speak up and speak out, and lift others as they climb.” She added, “Integrity, graduates, is arguably in short supply, and we are all counting on you to restore it.”

Leadership and Legacy

Tuesday’s graduate and professional school ceremonies spotlighted the impact of Pace alumni and honorees whose careers have shaped communities and industries.

Commissioner Robert S. Tucker ’96 of the New York City Fire Department, who earned his law degree at Pace while attending night classes and graduated a semester early, was awarded an honorary doctorate. For Tucker, the moment was deeply personal.

“Leadership is not about titles or power or prestige,” he told the graduates. “It's about service, or serving others with integrity, compassion, and a sense of duty. It's about doing what's right, even when it's hard, and it's about taking responsibility for the communities you serve.”

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Anjali Sud, CEO of Tubi, the most-watched free streaming service in America, brought her story full circle from Flint, Michigan, to the helm of a major tech company. Her message emphasized mindset over metrics.

“Surround yourself with optimists,” Sud said. “If you look across every technologist, entrepreneur or innovator you admire—across all personalities, styles, mantras, philosophies, you’ll find that they all have this trait in common.”

Sud was awarded an honorary doctorate, and Lorelei Atalie Vargas, then chief community impact officer at Trinity Church Wall Street, received Pace’s Opportunitas in Action Award for her service and impact.

The Spirit of Opportunitas

For computer science graduate Dante Hurr, the moment was more than ceremonial—it was a family first. As this year’s student recipient of the Opportunitas Award, Hurr stood proudly as a first-generation college graduate from Washington, DC.

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“Everything I’ve accomplished here at Pace helped me understand the real meaning of our mission: Opportunitas,” Hurr shared. “If not for the opportunity I was given the moment I was accepted—with a scholarship and with belief—who knows where I’d be today. Certainly not up here, holding the first bachelor’s degree in my family.”

A Promise to the Future

In his remarks, President Marvin Krislov reminded graduates that their education comes with a greater responsibility to themselves and the world.

“You carry more than a degree—you carry a promise,” he said. “A promise to your family, to yourselves, and to the Pace Community. A promise to keep learning, to stay curious, to lead with empathy, to use your education not just for you to advance, but to bring others along with you.”

"You carry more than a degree—you carry a promise...A promise to keep learning, to stay curious, to lead with empathy, to use your education not just for you to advance, but to bring others along with you.”

He closed with a challenge that spoke to the heart of the University’s mission: “Stay open. Stay resilient. Keep asking, ‘What can I do?’ Because higher education does more than just prepare you for a job. It prepares you to ask hard questions that will make your life meaningful, to help build strong communities, to speak up, and to carry forward the work of justice and truth.”

A Community of Doers

The Class of 2025 includes future nurses and physicians, lawyers, cybersecurity experts, educators, performers, entrepreneurs, and advocates. Each one leaves Pace equipped with knowledge—and a drive to make a difference.

The cheers and camera flashes may have faded, but the stories that unfolded on that stage will ripple outward in the lives of thousands.

Because at Pace, Commencement isn’t an ending. It’s a beginning.

Want to see even more photos from this year's Commencement? View the full gallery.