Florida State University celebrated its fall 2025 graduating class Friday, Dec. 12, with commencement ceremonies at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center defined by stories of perseverance, mentorship and unconventional paths to success.
President Richard McCullough presided over three ceremonies honoring nearly 3,000 graduates. More than 2,000 graduates participated in person, filling the arena with garnet and gold.
Doctoral Hooding Ceremony Fall 2025 Commencement Ceremonies
This semester’s graduates heard from two speakers recognized for their leadership and dedication to service: The Honorable Lawrence McClure, a member of the Florida House of Representatives, and Coach Leonard Hamilton, retired FSU men’s basketball head coach.
The day began with a doctoral hooding, and McCullough emphasized the weight of the graduates’ new titles.
“It is with tremendous pride and admiration that I stand before you today to congratulate you on the culmination of years of dedication, resilience and tireless effort in the pursuit of academic excellence,” McCullough said. “I urge you all to embrace your esteemed role as highly respected scholars and leaders. You’re actively shaping the future of industries, academia, the arts and scholarly achievements in society.”
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jim Clark challenged the new doctoral holders to view themselves as stewards of their disciplines.
“A steward is someone who trains with a critical eye toward the future,” Clark said. “A steward must be willing to take risks and move the discipline or profession or practice of the art forward. Mental toughness and a deep passion have led you to this important day.”
The afternoon ceremony shifted focus to bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist degree recipients. Student Body President and FSU Trustee Carson Dale reflected on the trials students faced, from late nights, hurricanes, and the rare Florida snow day to the unconquered spirit required to find a parking spot on campus.
“Unconquered means refusing to let hardship have the final say,” Dale said. “Life will get difficult — perseverance will set you apart. When people ask you how you keep going, you tell them: I learned that at Florida State.”
A living embodiment of that spirit was graduate Christopher Marley. A former Marine Corps corporal and ICU nurse who served during the COVID-19 pandemic, Marley suffered a major stroke in 2021. With support from the FSU Student Veterans Center, he returned to campus to lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and crossed the stage Friday to receive his master’s in business administration from the College of Business.
McCullough also welcomed Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and Board of Governors Vice Chairman Tim Serio, both of whom have played key roles in the state’s educational success. McCullough noted that under Rodrigues’ leadership, Florida’s public university system has continued to be ranked No. 1 in the nation — a distinction it has held for nine consecutive years, which McCullough called an “unprecedented feat in higher education.”
McClure, the featured speaker at the 2 p.m. ceremony, shared that he is one of the six in 10 working adults without a college degree.
“Instead of becoming a Rhodes Scholar, I am a ‘road scholar,’” he said. “Everything I learned was on the road.”
McClure, who currently chairs the House Budget Committee, offered the graduates a head start through three life lessons. First, he urged graduates to maintain relationships, even with those who offend them.
“There is value in doing all you can to maintain as many good relationships as possible,” he said.
He told graduates not to complain when they get knocked down but to learn from it.
“Get back on your feet and get back to work,” McClure said. “Time is the most finite resource — you can either use your time to complain, or you can use your time to make a difference.”
Invoking Winston Churchill, he reminded students that success is built “brick by brick.”
“If you persist, use grit and determination, and never, never, never give up, you will find success,” he said.
McClure concluded by reminding the class of 2025 that they are the next generation of leaders.
“You can outwork and outperform your contemporaries and achieve real success,” he said. “I still believe the sky’s the limit.”
The 7 p.m. ceremony featured Hamilton, who led the FSU men’s basketball team for 23 seasons and became the winningest coach in program history. He guided the Seminoles to an ACC Championship in 2012, an ACC regular-season title in 2020 and three Sweet 16 appearances, while ensuring that 97 percent of his seniors earned their degrees.
“His legacy goes deeper than wins,” McCullough said. “Ninety-seven percent of the seniors who played for him earned their degrees. He taught discipline. He taught patience. He taught his players how to handle success and how to handle setbacks.”
Hamilton, who was the first in his family to attend college, shared that his own education paved the way for the next generation of his family.
“Me getting my education changed the whole culture of our family,” Hamilton said, noting that his parents, who left school in the seventh and ninth grades, continually emphasized education.
Hamilton, a mentor to countless young people, distilled his decades of coaching wisdom into key life lessons. He advised graduates to find trusted mentors to help navigate challenges.
“You are where you are in life because of your mentors,” he said. “Talking to people who had ‘been there and done that’ kept me from making a lot of mistakes.”
He challenged graduates: “If you feel like you need help, you can listen to someone who is wise, someone with experience.”
Hamilton emphasized a relentless work ethic and the need for self-awareness. He challenged the graduates: “What are you going to do to separate yourself? How are you going to develop mentorship and gather wisdom to make sure you get the best advice you can as you move through your career?”
“Don’t ever let anyone outwork you — you control your own destiny,” he said. “If you are tired, stand up; don’t bend over.” He noted that many desire “progress, but they don’t want to go through the process.”
Hamilton reminded graduates that hard work means making sacrifices: “You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Dybalski, a graduating veteran who served nine years in the Marine Corps and achieved a 4.0 GPA in her master’s in clinical social work program, led the Pledge of Allegiance at the evening event and performed the National Anthem at the doctoral hooding ceremony. The fall graduates now join a global network of more than 420,000 FSU alumni.
FSU awarded 2,982 degrees, including 1,946 bachelor’s degrees, 811 master’s and specialist degrees, 112 doctoral degrees, five Juris Doctor degrees, 106 Juris Master’s degrees and two LLM degrees.
For more information, visit commencement.fsu.edu.