Commencement is a special day at Trevecca each spring as students cross the finish line of their educational journey.
At its annual convocation held this year on Saturday, May 2, the University conferred degrees to 966 graduates who became new alumni.
This group includes students who completed an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist or doctoral program. Degrees were awarded to students studying a wide range of areas, from those receiving a traditional undergraduate degree to those who earned advanced degrees in fields such as counseling, business, healthcare administration, music and medicine.
More than 150 graduates received a Doctor of Education in leadership (Ed.D.).
“This is a day of celebration, but it is also a moment of commissioning,” University Provost Tom Middendorf told students. “You are not simply graduates; you are formed people, prepared to enter the world with purpose, humility and hope.”
Middendorf acknowledged that graduates are entering a workforce and culture that are complex, divided and often uncertain. “Yet you go rooted—in Christ, in truth and in the formation you have received here,” he said. “And you go with the calling to live faithfully—in your vocations, your communities, your relationships and your witness.”
The theme of commencement was “Rooted and Faithful.” Middendorf reads from Colossians 2:6-7: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
“You leave this community, but you do not leave its roots,” Middendorf told students. “You step forward, not alone, but strengthened in the faith you were taught. And wherever God leads you next, may you continue to live your lives in Christ—rooted and faithful, and overflowing with gratitude.”
Sandra Kang earned her Ed.D. and spoke to her fellow graduates at commencement about the transformation she and her classmates experienced at Trevecca.
“We have learned to be people of Christlike character, empowered to make tough, ethical decisions based on biblical principles and God’s heart,” she said. “Trevecca has shaped us into leaders of competence and compassion, teaching us to weave our faith into the very fabric of our professional practice.
“We are serving in schools, corporate offices and nonprofits, but most importantly, we are embedded in communities serving the under-resourced,” Kang continued. “We are being sent out as socially-conscious, globally-aware ambassadors—followers of Jesus who see and embrace those the world often overlooks.”
Graduate Misty Wilburn returned to school as an adult learner to earn a degree in psychology while continuing to work full time, remain active in ministry and care for her family.
“While pursuing my bachelor’s degree online, I experienced the death of my father-in-law,” she shared with her fellow graduates. “My daughter was also in a bad car accident. One of my professors prayed for my daughter and our family. He also helped me navigate my assignments. Professors like this encouraged me along the way and guided me in my God-given calling.
“During the last two years, I have developed greater self-discipline, improved time management and strengthened my awareness of the importance of lifelong learning,” Wilburn said. “And I know without a doubt that nothing is impossible with God.”
Joel Moore received a Master of Arts in teaching and spoke to fellow graduates about the impact of Trevecca faculty on his journey.
“Our professors didn’t just teach content, but modeled conviction in classes where conversations reminded us that truth is not just something we learn, but something we live,” he said during his commencement remarks. “My experience taught me that being rooted in Christ is not passive. It is active. It is choosing faith when life feels uncertain. It is choosing integrity when compromise is easier. It is choosing to love in a world that often does not love well.
“My classmates and I have witnessed what it means to be formed, not just academically, but spiritually,” Moore continued. “We’ve wrestled with questions that didn’t always have easy answers and moments without clear outcomes. We’ve been stretched in classrooms, challenged in our thinking and called to be higher in our character.”
As a result, Moore said he and his classmates feel prepared to face their futures. “Not because we have all the answers, but because we know where we are rooted,” he said. “We are empowered, not by our own strength, but by the grace that has sustained us. We are ready to step into classrooms, communities, workplaces, and families—not just as graduates, but as servants, leaders and witnesses.”