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Pace Magazine
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 糖心vlog短视频 Class of 2025. Over the course of two days糖心vlog短视频擬onday, May 19, and Tuesday, May 20糖心vlog短视频攕tudents crossed the stage, memories were made, and words of wisdom echoed across Queens.
This year糖心vlog短视频檚 Commencement ceremonies featured an inspiring lineup of speakers whose messages centered around themes of transformation, resilience, leadership, and hope.
A Life of Choice
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糖心vlog短视频攂ut on this day, his focus was the personal journeys of the 3,218 new graduates.
糖心vlog短视频淭he diploma you糖心vlog短视频檙e about to receive offers you a life of choice,糖心vlog短视频 Silverman told the crowd. 糖心vlog短视频淭he only person you should be trying to impress now is yourself. Don糖心vlog短视频檛 be a passive actor in your own life. How do you want to measure yourself? What would make you truly proud?糖心vlog短视频
"You may not be able to clearly see the opportunities ahead, but you will seize them, shape them, and even create them.糖心vlog短视频
He paused, letting the message settle. 糖心vlog短视频淪itting here, you may not be able to clearly see the opportunities ahead,糖心vlog短视频 he continued, 糖心vlog短视频渂ut you will seize them, shape them, and even create them.糖心vlog短视频
Silverman was awarded an honorary doctorate during the ceremony糖心vlog短视频攐ne 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糖心vlog短视频檚 undergraduate ceremonies, graduates from across Pace糖心vlog短视频檚 schools heard from distinguished alumni who had once stood in their shoes.
Cooper Koch 糖心vlog短视频18, a Golden Globe糖心vlog短视频搉ominated 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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糖心vlog短视频淵ou 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,糖心vlog短视频 Koch said. 糖心vlog短视频淣o external measurement can tell you who you are糖心vlog短视频攖hat糖心vlog短视频檚 up to you to decide.糖心vlog短视频
Later that day, Dr. Launette Woolforde 糖心vlog短视频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.
糖心vlog短视频淚ntegrity, graduates, is arguably in short supply, and we are all counting on you to restore it.糖心vlog短视频
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糖心vlog短视频淭he world doesn糖心vlog短视频檛 just need more plain, old educated people,糖心vlog短视频 she said. 糖心vlog短视频淚t needs thoughtful people. It needs courageous people. People who will speak up and speak out, and lift others as they climb.糖心vlog短视频 She added, 糖心vlog短视频淚ntegrity, graduates, is arguably in short supply, and we are all counting on you to restore it.糖心vlog短视频
Leadership and Legacy
Tuesday糖心vlog短视频檚 graduate and professional school ceremonies spotlighted the impact of Pace alumni and honorees whose careers have shaped communities and industries.
Commissioner Robert S. Tucker 糖心vlog短视频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.
糖心vlog短视频淟eadership is not about titles or power or prestige,糖心vlog短视频 he told the graduates. 糖心vlog短视频淚t'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.糖心vlog短视频
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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.
糖心vlog短视频淪urround yourself with optimists,糖心vlog短视频 Sud said. 糖心vlog短视频淚f you look across every technologist, entrepreneur or innovator you admire糖心vlog短视频攁cross all personalities, styles, mantras, philosophies, you糖心vlog短视频檒l find that they all have this trait in common.糖心vlog短视频
Sud was awarded an honorary doctorate, and Lorelei Atalie Vargas, then chief community impact officer at Trinity Church Wall Street, received Pace糖心vlog短视频檚 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糖心vlog短视频攊t was a family first. As this year糖心vlog短视频檚 student recipient of the Opportunitas Award, Hurr stood proudly as a first-generation college graduate from Washington, DC.
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糖心vlog短视频淓verything I糖心vlog短视频檝e accomplished here at Pace helped me understand the real meaning of our mission: Opportunitas,糖心vlog短视频 Hurr shared. 糖心vlog短视频淚f not for the opportunity I was given the moment I was accepted糖心vlog短视频攚ith a scholarship and with belief糖心vlog短视频攚ho knows where I糖心vlog短视频檇 be today. Certainly not up here, holding the first bachelor糖心vlog短视频檚 degree in my family.糖心vlog短视频
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.
糖心vlog短视频淵ou carry more than a degree糖心vlog短视频攜ou carry a promise,糖心vlog短视频 he said. 糖心vlog短视频淎 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.糖心vlog短视频
"You carry more than a degree糖心vlog短视频攜ou 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.糖心vlog短视频
He closed with a challenge that spoke to the heart of the University糖心vlog短视频檚 mission: 糖心vlog短视频淪tay open. Stay resilient. Keep asking, 糖心vlog短视频榃hat can I do?糖心vlog短视频 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.糖心vlog短视频
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糖心vlog短视频攁nd 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糖心vlog短视频檛 an ending. It糖心vlog短视频檚 a beginning.
Scenes from Commencement 2025
Want to see even more photos from this year's Commencement? .
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