Florida State University honored its largest graduating class in history over the weekend and celebrated the resilience and achievements of more than 7,100 students who earned nearly 9,000 degrees.
The six commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center came just over two weeks after a shooting on campus left the community grieving but united in strength.
FSU President Richard McCullough began each ceremony with a moment of silence in memory of Robert Morales, a longtime FSU employee, and Tiru Chabba, a trusted colleague representing Aramark, who were killed in the April 17 attack at FSU’s Student Union.
“We cannot begin today without acknowledging the loss our community has suffered,” McCullough told the crowd. “Just over two weeks ago, a tragic act of violence struck our campus. We lost Robert and Tiru. Multiple others were injured. In the days since, we’ve witnessed the best of FSU: compassion, courage, and an outpouring of support from around the world.”
He asked attendees to honor the lives lost, to support those still recovering and to recognize those who responded with care and urgency.
McCullough said the weekend was a time to honor perseverance, community and hope.
“These graduates have overcome so much — not only in the past few weeks, but over the years they’ve worked toward this day,” he said. “This is the largest graduating class in Florida State’s history. That alone is reason to be proud. But it’s their resilience that makes this moment even more meaningful.”
FSU awarded 8,926 degrees in total over the weekend, including 6,862 bachelor’s degrees, 1,558 master’s and specialist degrees and 247 doctoral degrees.
McCullough presided over a doctoral hooding ceremony Friday morning. Provost Jim Clark addressed the graduates.
“When I look across this arena, I see excellence: scholars, leaders, performers, artists, and visionaries,” Clark said. “You bring with you the next great scientific discoveries, the most awesome performances, the next solutions to global challenges, great works of art and the new theories and strategies that will shape this state and this nation for the better.”
Speakers across all ceremonies shared messages of resilience, leadership and service.
At the College of Business ceremony Friday afternoon, Ash Williams, vice chair of J.P. Morgan Asset Management, encouraged graduates to lead with integrity and prepare for the future.
Williams, a two-time FSU graduate, spent more than a decade as chief investment officer for the Florida State Board of Administration, managing nearly $200 billion in assets. He’s held leadership roles in national investment organizations, serves on the FSU Foundation Board and received honors including the Chief Investment Officer Lifetime Achievement Award and the FSU Mores Torch Award.
“Truth is your friend,” he said. “Seek it and speak it. Personal integrity is an absolute requirement for long-term success.”
He also reminded graduates that success isn’t always a straight line.
“Don’t look at the world as a single path,” Williams said. “It’s a winding road, and there are all kinds of wonderful sights to see along it.”
Friday evening, College of Arts and Sciences graduates heard from Ken Jones, a leader in business, public service and higher education.
Jones serves on the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System. He is founder and managing partner of Third Lake Partners, a global investment firm, and has served in senior roles in Washington, including chief legal counsel to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and CEO of the 2012 Republican National Convention. He also serves on several national boards and is an FSU alumnus.
In his remarks, Jones reflected on the value of consistency, dependability, adaptability, improvement and coachability — qualities he called “the hallmarks” of success.
“It doesn’t matter where you start,” he said. “If you keep those five principles in mind, I promise you, you will succeed.”
He also encouraged graduates to stay open to new experiences and opportunities, even if they seem uncertain at first.
“The biggest thing you can do in your career is say yes,” Jones said. “Opportunity is disguised as hard work all the time. But the more you say yes, the more doors will open.
Saturday morning’s speaker, Mel Stith, addressed graduates from several colleges including Hospitality, Entrepreneurship, Medicine, Applied Studies and Public Policy.
A former dean of the College of Business, Stith helped lay the groundwork for transformational gifts that led to the creation of the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship. He co-founded the Ph.D. Project, a national initiative to diversify faculty in business schools, and under his leadership, FSU became a top producer of African American business Ph.Ds. He went on to lead the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University and served as interim president at Norfolk State University.
As he recalled the tragic events of April 17, Stith pointed to the timeless legacy of FSU’s “unconquered” spirit — the one word that captures the resilience of the Seminoles.
“Graduates, as you leave this place unconquered, no one or anything can conquer you,” Stith said. “In life you will face more difficult moments, and those moments rely on your Seminole spirit and education. The FSU faculty and staff and fellow students have prepared you to overcome anything.”
Stith spoke about being the first in his family of 10 children to graduate from college — they all eventually went on to earn their bachelor’s degrees and many advanced degrees. He shared with graduates what his parents, neither who had greater than a seventh-grade education, often reminded their children: “Education is the one thing that no one can ever take away from you.”
Ricky Polston, who served on the Florida Supreme Court for 15 years, including two as chief justice, spoke Saturday afternoon to the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, College of Nursing, Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences graduates.
Polston, who earned both his accounting and law degrees from FSU, led the state’s judiciary through major transitions and wrote opinions on some of Florida’s most high-profile legal issues, from constitutional law to utility regulation. He also taught at FSU’s College of Law for 20 years.
He shared with graduates a Thanksgiving blessing he wrote a few years ago when he was going through a difficult time: “Catch the crumbs. Let nothing fall from the table. Account for all blessings and be stewards of the mistakes.”
Polston urged graduates to guard what sustains them, whether it is time with family and friends or opportunities to have a better life or make a difference in the world.
“Don’t let them just drop from the table,” he said. “Be intentional, not random, with just reacting to whatever comes your way.
Polston advised graduates not to waste anything: “Don’t forget this moment. Look around. Mark it in your consciousness. Don’t zone out. Don’t just check a box here. It’s your graduation. Celebrate the moment.”
Saturday night’s speaker, Cecile Reynaud, closed the ceremonies with advice drawn from a long career in athletics and education.
Reynaud built one of the nation’s most successful collegiate volleyball programs at FSU. She coached the Seminoles for 26 years, earned more than 600 victories and led her teams to 13 national tournament appearances. She earned her master’s and Ph.D. at FSU and helped shape the sport globally.
She served in leadership roles during the 1996 Olympics and as vice president of volleyball operations for the Pro Volleyball Federation. A member of the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame, Reynaud is respected for her mentorship, advocacy for women’s sports and lasting contributions to athletics at Florida State.
Speaking to the graduates from the College of Fine Arts, College of Communication & Information, College of Criminology & Criminal Justice, College of Social Work, and College of Music, Reynaud encouraged them to “be where your feet are.”
Reynaud advised graduates that no matter what they’re doing — whether they’re walking across the stage at commencement, on a business trip or spending time with their families: “Be all there and be present.”
The long-time coach congratulated graduates and gave them a pep talk before they move on to the next phase of their lives.
“You have done all the preparation for the game of life,” she said. “You have won this round with the knowledge and skills you have learned at Florida State University. You are now prepared to win the next round.”
After the final graduate crossed the stage, McCullough sent students off with a few musical words of wisdom by quoting artists from Jay-Z to T.I. and Rihanna to Kendrick Lamar.
From Jay-Z: “The key to stayin’ on top of things is treat everything like it’s your first project… just stay hungry.”
From T.I. and Rihanna’s Live Your Life: “’Til the game ends, ’til the clock stops. We gon’ post up on the top spot.”
And from Kendrick Lamar, “Got my foot up on the gas, somebody gotta do it.”
McCullough added: “Who’s the somebody? Florida State grads!”
Other ceremonies
FSU’s College of Law will hold its commencement Sunday, May 4. FSU Board of Trustees Vice Chair Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz will be the speaker.
FSU Panama City’s ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. CT Sunday at Tommy Oliver Stadium in Panama City. John Barnhill, FSU associate vice president of Enrollment Management, will address the graduates.
The College of Medicine will confer 113 degrees on May 17.
The Class of 2025 joins Florida State’s global alumni network of more than 410,000 living graduates.
For more information and livestreams, visit commencement.fsu.edu.