Commencement links together the past, present, and future. Rooted in the present pomp and circumstance, college graduates remember the nervous excitement when they first began their studies and apply that to the elation and uncertainty about their next step forward.
Myieh Leggette ’25 faced a room of roughly 2,000 graduating UNC Greensboro students, all with unique but profound stories like hers, and invited them to reflect on all they did to reach this day…including the most suspenseful moments. She compared it to building up to the punchline of a joke.
“What happens if the hard work doesn’t work?” she said. “What if the joke falls flat? What if the speech goes really bad? What if the magic doesn’t quite ‘magic?’ What if the magician misses his cue? Doesn’t that sound familiar? Doesn’t that sound like life?”
Leggette, who earned her liberal and interdisciplinary studies degree while also working as an ER nurse, compared the tension of setting up the punchline to a Knock, Knock joke.
She highlighted many of the faculty and staff who stepped in when she felt most uncertain. UNCG graduates, she said, are not waiting for anyone to “let them in” when they knock. At the end, she assured everyone, “We’ve opened the door; we’ve cast the spell. We’re already here.”
Chancellor Franklin Gilliam encouraged everyone at the graduate and undergraduate ceremonies to live in the moment. “You’ve earned this, and you’re ready for this next stage,” he said. “Keep that in mind when those little feelings of self-doubt creep in, say, ‘No, I’ve got this.'”
Commencement reminds students of how far they’ve come since they first became Spartans. The layout of the First Horizon Coliseum mirrors the stands of Fleming Gym where they gathered for orientation. The bell that rang during student orientation is rung again at graduation. Graduates, who waved goodbye to their families when they moved into their dorm, turn and wave to those family members proud to share in this moment.
It’s a reminder that sets the scene for a week full of triumphs for the 2,150 bachelor degrees conferred, along with 512 master’s and 112 doctorates. What matters most to a Spartan is the hug of a friend or family member, that turning of the tassel, and that parting message from the Chancellor affirming their place among the legion of alumni.
Dr. Anu Hegde ’05 centered her congratulatory speech at the master’s and doctoral hooding ceremony around the principles that have guided her through life. Some of them were inspired by her Hindu faith, professional career, and the examples set by her faculty.
“Strive for presence, not perfectionism,” said Hegde, who got her bachelor of arts in human development and family studies from UNCG. “You have to be present in the moment with your students. Similarly, when you read a book to your child, enjoy that shared reading time. Enjoy that 15 minutes to 1 hour with your friends when you meet with them. Presence is important. Don’t strive to be a perfect professor, parent, or friend. You were ‘present’ and that matters.” Hegde went on to tell everyone to pursue everything with passion and enthusiasm, as she had seen exemplified her own professors.
UNCG students witnessed an example of that passion from a community leader and educator who has promoting the arts for decades. Connie Kotis ’65, ’77 MM received an honorary doctor of letters at the master’s and doctoral hooding ceremony. Chancellor Gilliam praised her motivation to make her community stronger.
The excitement of the new UNCG graduates reached the rafters of the Coliseum. When they first arrived at UNCG, they had a lot of unknowns, leaving the familiar behind. They march now into a new unknown – new jobs, new research, or the next degree – but they go forth knowing that they succeeded here, so they can do it again.
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications
CELEBRATE OUR GRADS!
Graduates and their families are encouraged to share their accomplishments on social media by tagging the University accounts and using the hashtag #UNCGGrad. Visit UNCG’s digital swag page for Commencement-themed graphics and templates.
Mention @UNCG in celebratory posts on Instagram and X and @uncgreensboro on TikTok.
