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������Ƶ proudly celebrated the accomplishments of more than 210 undergraduate and graduate degree recipients during its December commencement ceremony held on Wednesday, December 17, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Surrounded by faculty, staff, family members, and friends, graduates were honored for their academic achievement, perseverance, and readiness to step into lives of purpose and leadership.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster delivered the featured commencement address, offering reflections on public service, leadership, and the responsibility graduates carry to use their education in service to others and their communities.

“You have been given an education that can open every door,” McMaster said. He continued, “You should face your future with enormous confidence. There is a leader in you waiting to wake up, waiting to climb, and waiting to excel.”

Student speaker Jocelyn Tucker-Cain, who received a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice, reflected on the shared journey of the graduating class and the support systems that made their success possible.

“Standing here today feels both humbling and surreal,” Tucker-Cain said. “Every late night, every long day, and every obstacle brought us to this very moment. And today, we can proudly say we did it.”

She also spoke to the sense of belonging she found at ������Ƶ and encouraged her fellow graduates to carry that confidence forward.

“������Ƶ became more than an institution; it became a family that taught us perseverance, resilience, and the power of believing in ourselves,” she said.

In his charge to the graduates, President John H. Dozier acknowledged the faculty, staff, and families whose support shaped the graduates’ experiences and success.

“You didn’t get here alone,” Dozier said. “And you don’t go forward alone, either.”

Since its founding in 1854, ������Ƶ has prepared generations of graduates to meet the world with courage, purpose, and service. “Today, you carry that legacy forward,” Dozier said.

Dozier also encouraged graduates to live out the meaning of the College’s motto, Non Quem Sed Quid, meaning “Not who, but what.”

“We measure you by what you do, how you lead, and how you serve,” he said. “Wherever you go, strive to make your corner of the world better because you were there.”

As graduates stood to move their tassels from right to left, officially marking the conferral of their degrees, the ceremony concluded with celebration as the Class of 2025 joined the ������Ƶ alumni family.

Congratulations to the ������Ƶ Class of 2025. We are proud of you. We believe in you. Now go and make the world a better place for all.