Stony Brook University Celebrates the Class of 2025 at 65th Commencement Ceremony

Supporting fellow Seawolves, opening doors and chasing dreams were the themes of the day as Stony Brook University celebrated the Class of 2025 and its many achievements at the 65th Commencement Ceremony May 23 at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.

A combined 7,640 degrees and certificates were conferred as the graduates officially joined the ranks of more than 225,000 accomplished Stony Brook alumni.

University Senate President and Grand Marshal Brenda Anderson officially convened the commencement ceremony and introduced Mheco Joy Manlangit, doctoral voice student in the Department of Music, who sang the National Anthem, accompanied by the Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band.

Interim President Richard L. McCormick congratulated the graduates and said that in its time on campus, the Class of 2025 has witnessed history and helped shape the university.

McCormick noted in the last four years, Stony Brook was named a flagship university by New York Governor Kathy Hochul; Stony Brook Medicine was ranked among the top one percent nationwide for the overall excellence of its medical care; Stony Brook was designated as the anchor institution for the New York Climate Exchange; Jim and Marilyn Simons and the Simons Foundation announced a $500 million endowment pledge, the largest unrestricted endowment gift in the history of American higher education; Stony Brook saw its largest-ever incoming class, including the highest number of Educational Opportunity Program students, in Fall 2024; and SBU athletic teams won seven Coastal Athletic Association conference championships.

“Graduates, remember that success is not only about the achievements and milestones you will have as alumni of this great institution,” McCormick said. “It is about how you treat and support the people around you. Support for one another is so central to Stony Brook culture. You have left Stony Brook a better university than you found it, and that is saying a lot. We’re counting on you to BE the future!”

McCormick also asked graduates to stay connected to Stony Brook. “As alumni, you now share with us responsibility for ensuring that young men and women in the future will have the same — or even better — opportunities to receive an outstanding education here,” he said. “Help us achieve our highest ambitions. We want you to be as proud of Stony Brook tomorrow as Stony Brook is proud of you today.”

Stony Brook alumnus and New York State Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie ’90 recalled that when he was a student, there was no LaValle Stadium, Student Activities Center, or even cell phones. He spoke of people who have helped him along his journey, and asked graduates to do the same.

“Wherever you go, whatever you do, be the best at it, and just make sure you open a door for somebody,” Heastie said. “It doesn’t have to be a friend. It could be a stranger. So can I get that commitment out of all of you? Congratulations to the Class of 2025. The world is yours.”

Executive Vice President and Provost Carl Lejuez told graduates that Stony Brook will be there for them anytime they need it. “You are the future,” he said. “You are our greatest accomplishment. And we can’t wait to hear everything that you will do in the future.”

The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) collected donations from more than 625 seniors totaling $11,800 as part of the Senior Class Legacy Gift, which was presented by Tanisa Rahman, USG vice president for student life. 

“It’s incredible what we’ve accomplished together,” Rahman said. “And as we grow into our careers and become successful in our own ways, I hope we remember to give back — to lift others the way this university and its people have lifted us.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Rick Gatteau introduced student speaker Amira Gbagba, who graduated with a bachelor of science in applied mathematics and statistics, completed an internship at Brookhaven National Laboratory and earned an award from the National Mathematical Association of America.

Gbagba said that — statistically speaking — someone in the 2025 graduating class is going to do “something huge.”

“A new app, medical breakthrough, billion-dollar startup, [or a] Nobel prize. And that someone? It could be you. So don’t rush your dreams trying to match someone else’s timeline. Move at your own pace. If you have a dream, chase it. If you’re unsure what to chase — stay curious. Try things, like I did. Ask questions.”

Stony Brook Alumni Association President Errol Cockfield welcomed the graduates as new alumni. He said coming to Stony Brook at age 16 changed his life, an immigrant from Guyana with more questions than answers. “What I found was a campus community that embraces difference, that valued merit and grit, and that gave me the chance to grow, speak out and shape a life I couldn’t have dreamed up on my own,” he said. “Keep investing in a place that invested in you.”

The Stony Brook Vocalists sang the university’s alma mater, “Sandy Shore,” followed by Celia Marshik, dean of the Graduate School, who began the formal presentation of candidates. Lejuez then presented the undergraduate honors candidates, followed by the university deans presenting candidates in each of the following colleges and schools: School of Nursing, School of Social Welfare, School of Health Professions, School of Professional Development, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Communication and Journalism, College of Business, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Degrees were bestowed in the following categories:  

• 4,835 bachelor’s degrees
• 1,950 master’s degrees 
• 675 doctoral and professional degrees 
• 280 certificates  

Special guests and alumni at the main commencement ceremony included New York State Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassey; New York State Senator Monica Martinez ’08; Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright ’75; SUNY Trustee Cary Staller; Stony Brook Foundation Trustee; Stony Brook Council Chairman Kevin Law; and Karen Persichilli Keogh, Stony Brook Council member and secretary to Governor Kathy Hochul,

The main commencement ceremony capped a week-long schedule of convocations in colleges, schools and departments, including the doctoral hooding ceremony on May 22. The Class of 2025 contained students from 65 countries and 46 states, and graduates ranged in age from 16 to 82 years of age.

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