Elmhurst University held its 154th commencement exercises on Saturday, May 24, for the Class of 2025.
For the first time, the two ceremonies were held in the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont. About 986 undergraduate and graduate students walked across the stage to accept their diplomas, out of approximately more than 1,164 Elmhurst students who earned degrees.
As he welcomed the graduating students, President Troy D. VanAken noted how fitting it was that this class would be the first to try out the new Elmhurst commencement venue.
“Yours is a class that joined us at the start of what has been an exciting period of change, growth and forward momentum,” he noted, including a historic surge in enrollments and student retention, the celebration of the University’s 150th anniversary, and the construction of the new Health Sciences Building.
At the ceremony for graduate students, master’s degrees were awarded in the fields of business, education, health care and technology. An honorary doctorate of humane letters was awarded to Robert Jans, a generous longtime donor to the University with a deep commitment to student veterans and military education.
In his commencement address, Jans said that over his lifetime as a member of the “Greatest Generation,” he had developed a deep appreciation for professional development and growth, especially in his work with a nonprofit group that educates civic and business leaders on defense and national security issues.
“I also have a deep appreciation for Elmhurst University because it offers opportunities for professional development and growth through education,” he said.
“I know you have that appreciation too because you are here, working to advance in your current careers or enter new ones,” he said to the graduates. “I applaud students like you, who see these opportunities and seize them, even when it can mean a significant commitment of time and money—usually at a time when there never seems to be enough of either.”
He encouraged the graduates, with their “willingness to reach and grow,” to surpass his generation’s achievements, and “that we all strive together to achieve better conditions for all mankind.”
At the ceremony for the University’s undergraduate students, an honorary doctorate of humane letters was awarded to alumna Judith Morley ’69, a philanthropist, University trustee and retired partner of the William Blair global investment firm.
During her address to the graduates, Morley described her circuitous career path, from the “wakeup call” of being denied a Marshall Field’s credit card, to ultimately becoming one of the first women to make partner at William Blair. Looking back on her career, she said, “I don’t feel I can take credit for crashing the glass ceiling, but I do think I at least reached up and scratched it.”
Her advice to the graduates included not letting an early failure derail them; not being afraid to ask for what they want; being respectful of others’ rights to their opinions, beliefs and backgrounds; and striving every day to create their legacy.
“Look around you and find opportunities to create your own legacy—they are out there,” she said. “To each and every one of you, I want to wish you godspeed on the journey ahead of you. Go get ’em, Grads!”