BSOS Celebrates Commencement
The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences congratulates the Class of 2025, and the August and December classes of 2024, who were celebrated with two BSOS commencement ceremonies on Wednesday, May 21, in the Xfinity Center.
The 12 p.m. ceremony recognized Departments of African American and Africana Studies, Anthropology, Geographical Sciences, Government and Politics, and Economics, as well as the Environmental Science and Policy Major, and the Social Data Science Major.
The student speaker for Ceremony 1 was Ana Paz, a double major in economics and in government and politics.
“As we leave these halls, may we carry forward the spirit of curiosity, compassion, and courage that BSOS instilled in us. Let us continue asking hard questions and standing up for the world we want to build. And most importantly—take up space,” Paz said. “Take up space in boardrooms, courtrooms, classrooms, and community centers. Don’t be afraid to be seen. To be heard. To shape the world around you. Because there hasn’t been a moment in history when BSOS skills were more urgently needed.”
The 3 p.m. ceremony recognized the Departments of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Hearing and Speech Sciences, Psychology, and Sociology, as well as the Neuroscience Major.
The student speaker for Ceremony 2 was Anna-Kaye McDonald, a double major in criminology and criminal justice and in government and politics.
“When I think about our journey to this stage, one word comes to mind: time. Time has been our greatest challenge, our most relentless teacher, and now, our most valuable gift. It has pushed us through sleepless nights, cramming for exams, writing papers that somehow finally came together at 3 a.m., and questioning whether we could really do this. It has also given us moments of joy, like meeting friends who became family, late-night conversations about life’s biggest questions, and the realization that, despite our obstacles, we belonged here. Trust me, overcoming imposter syndrome is one of my biggest accomplishments,” McDonald said. “For some of us, this journey was paved with privilege. For others, it was a battle against barriers that were never meant to be there in the first place. But no matter how we got here, we did, and we made it. Now, the question before us is: What will we do with our time now?”
Watch the Videos of BSOS Ceremony 1 and Ceremony 2
Published on Thu, May 22, 2025 - 1:45PM