Congratulations, Class of 2025!
On Saturday, May 10, 2025, the Roberts Wesleyan University community gathered in celebration and reflection to honor the newest graduates.
The Class of 2025 arrived full of questions. They leave as a community of learners shaped by historic Christianity. They’ve been challenged to think deeply, live faithfully, and act justly.
At Roberts Wesleyan University, we believe education is more than information. It’s formation. This class is proof of that.
What they carry now can’t be measured in credits or honors. It’s character. Calling. And a commitment to love God and neighbor, wherever the road leads next.
As a community of learners committed to historic Christianity, Roberts Wesleyan University seeks to prepare thoughtful, spiritually mature, service-oriented people who will help transform society.
The following degrees were conferred:
166 bachelor’s degrees
112 accelerated bachelor’s degrees
12 associate degrees
170 master’s degrees
20 doctoral degrees
39 degrees from our embedded Northeastern Seminary, including:
21 with master’s or advanced certificates
11 with Master of Divinity degrees
7 with Doctor of Ministry degrees
The following quotes capture the spirit of the commencement ceremony. They have been edited for clarity and length.
Keynote Speaker: Emerson Fullwood
Retired Xerox executive and long-time trustee Emerson U. Fullwood delivered a stirring charge titled “Think Big, Care Deeply on Your Journey.”
“You are graduating into a world rife with staggering challenges,” Fullwood said. “This world requires new bold leaders who walk with their heads up and their hearts open. Leaders like you.”
He pointed to advances in AI, biotechnology, and neurotechnology as double-edged, full of promise but requiring moral leadership. “The future is unmistakably bright, but it will be up to us to ensure that technology is shaped and regulated responsibly so that these breakthroughs benefit all of humanity.”
Seek the challenge. Think big. But also, care deeply. That is the currency that will sustain you - and all of us - for generations to come.
Even though the unknown can be scary, be steadfast in knowing that God will guide us along the way.
Adrian Greer, a pastor and Theological Studies, M.A. graduate, reminded the audience that brief moments often carry the most weight.
“Some of the most impactful moments of my life happened in two minutes,” he said. “Making vows. Holding my daughter for the first time.”
“Ministry often happens in brief encounters: a two-minute conversation with someone in crisis, a short prayer with a grieving family, or a quick word of encouragement to a struggling soul. These two-minute encounters aren’t interruptions to our ministry - they are our ministry.”
What will you do with your two minutes? How will you use these sacred moments to touch lives, share God’s love, and transform communities?
The Class of 2025 leaves Roberts Wesleyan University not just with degrees but with purpose, character, and calling.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out in advance,” Fullwood reminded them. “None of us do. Embrace the discomfort that’s part of personal growth. It will help you develop the intellectual curiosity, humility, resilience, and confidence it takes to truly THINK BIG.”
Congratulations, Class of 2025. Go in peace. Go in courage. Go change the world.
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About the author
Roberts Wesleyan University
As a community of learners committed to historic Christianity, Roberts Wesleyan University seeks to prepare thoughtful, spiritually mature, service-oriented people who will help transform society.
We are a private Christian university in Rochester, New York, offering over 80 undergraduate and graduate programs.
As the only NCAA Division II institution in the region and member of the East Coast Conference, Roberts is committed to academic excellence, spiritual formation, and competitive athletics.