Sweet graduation day

Mother’s Day weekend was a reason for multiple celebrations at University of Dayton Arena. The University conferred approximately 500 master’s and doctoral degrees Saturday, May 10, the same day the School of Law held its commencement ceremony. And nearly 1,670 undergraduate students received their degrees during a ceremony Sunday, May 11.

At all celebrations, graduates stood and clapped for their mothers and those who care for them with unconditional love. That included senior David Henderson, who thanked his adoptive mother while sharing the power of finding family through love and connection. As speaker for the Class of 2025, the biology major talked of lessons learned from challenges — such as organic chemistry class:

“[We learned] that bonds matter. That the strongest ones don’t always form easily — they take activation energy. That even when things fall apart, there are mechanisms to bring them back together.

“And now, here we are, standing at a reaction’s end, a product formed, saying goodbye to this chapter, saying goodbye to lectures, the late nights and the study groups that became lifelines, saying goodbye to friends who became family and professors who became mentors.

“But I challenge you not to see this day as a goodbye — but more of a see-you-later, because once a Flyer, always a Flyer.”

Indeed. The more than 2,000 new Forever Flyers join an alumni community of 131,000-plus. It’s good company to be in as they go forth, react and interact with the world around them, always remembering how sweet this day was for graduates and those who love them.

Photos by Sylvia Stahl ’18 and Sai Sandeep Vunnam ’25