Embracing the Unknown: Hartwick Celebrates the Class of 2025

Chelsea Kotey ’25, a biochemistry major and president of the Student Government Association, offered a powerful reminder that life’s unexpected turns often lead to the most meaningful destinations.

“Let’s embrace uncertainty; after all, uncertainty defines the human experience,” Kotey said. “Remember that the path forward rarely unfolds exactly as planned, and that’s okay. As I learned in Dr. Allen’s capstone class, some of life’s most gratifying opportunities arise from what we discover while taking unexpected detours. We newly face the unknown; we’ve learned at Hartwick to lean into what’s unfamiliar with curiosity rather than with fear.”

That spirit of courage and curiosity carried through the day’s many recognitions and reflections.

Roselyn DuMerville ’25 was awarded the Abraham L. Kellogg Oratorical Prize for her speech, “Guided by Henry,” which she originally delivered during the College’s Honors Convocation on April 30.

Laurel Bongiorno, vice president for academic affairs and provost, presented the Margaret B. Bunn Award for Outstanding Teaching to Associate Professor of Psychology and Department Chair William Kowalczyk, who was also named the 2025 Teacher-Scholar during the College’s recent Honors Convocation held earlier this semester.

Elizabeth “Betty” Powell ’82 received the President’s Medal for Extraordinary and Exemplary Loyalty to the College. Powell has served in Hartwick’s Department of Athletics since 1969 and was recently honored for 55 years of service at the Quinquennial Awards Celebration.

Two distinguished individuals received honorary degrees and served as Commencement speakers: Patricia Spears Jones, an award-winning poet, educator and cultural activist, and Richard Ekman, a nationally recognized leader in higher education.

Jones encouraged graduates to honor their accomplishments and shape their future with intention.

“Your degree is a testament to your discipline, passion, interests and determination,” said Jones. “You are now at that moment where your future and how you make your life become a testament to your character, your values, your desires.”

Ekman echoed that message, encouraging graduates to move forward with confidence.

“No matter what field you majored in, you have acquired skills, and knowledge and values that go well beyond your major,” he said. “You can and should be bold as you make choices over the next few years about your next steps in life. Steps about where you will work, where you will live, what sort of spouse or parent you will be and what leadership roles as citizen and community member you’re willing to take on. You’re very likely to succeed in life’s many dimensions because you’ve already obtained during the past few years the excellent foundation that Hartwick has given to you.”

For many graduates, that foundation was built not only in classrooms but through friendships and shared experiences that will last a lifetime. Public health major Amanda Wilbur ’25 reflected on the friendships she formed during her time on Oyaron Hill.

“When I came here, I never thought I would make such lifelong friends – but when I go to the Rockefeller School of Public Affairs and Policy, I’ll be rooming with someone I met here.”

For some, Hartwick’s natural spaces also played a central role in life balance. Economics and global studies major Robert Noury ’25 found inspiration and belonging in one of the College’s most beloved locations.

“I got the opportunity to live at Pine Lake, and every student should take the opportunity to get out there,” he said. “Sitting around the fire or playing board games, it was just so inspiring being in the woods with my friends.”

As the ceremony drew to a close, President Jim Mullen delivered a heartfelt farewell to the Class of 2025.

“You are remarkable young people. I know the world will be better because of you,” he said. “So, my final thank you is deeply personal – it is for what you have meant to this place and what you have meant to me. I am forever grateful to each of you and I love you very much.”

Among the Class of 2025 were 40 Summa Cum Laude, 41 Magna Cum Laude, and 52 Cum Laude graduates. The class also included 111 departmental distinctions, 22 College Honors students, 21 who completed their degrees in three years, and 27 legacy students.

For more Commencement 2025 coverage, visit the website.