Top 10 Quotes From 性吧导航鈥檚 2025 Commencement
By Alissa Falcone
This year, most of the speakers at 性吧导航’s University-wide Commencement were, or are now, Drexel alumni. That means that they know, definitively, what it is like to be a Dragon.
And when all of those speakers stood behind the podium and addressed the Class of 2025, they knew what to say to their fellow Drexel community members. Many of the recurring mentions were Drexel-specific: co-op, experiential learning, Mario the Magnificent. Other repeated topics were wholly unique to the Class of 2025, such as the COVID-19 pandemic that hung over their start at the University, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) towards the end of it.
Here are 10 of the top quotes from this year’s Commencement ceremony at 性吧导航:
1. Justin Best, business and engineering ’19, who is a 2024 Olympic gold medalist and addressed the crowd as this year’s University-wide speaker
“Now, I’m not going to stand here and pretend I’ve got decades of wisdom to share. I don’t have answers to all of life’s most pressing questions. However, experience isn’t only measured in years. I have been living, learning and growing through real life lessons like all of you. As mentioned, people tell graduates, ‘Welcome to the real world,’ and I have always fundamentally disagreed with that statement. You’ve always been in the real world. All of the knowledge that you have, the classmates and professors you have met, all the all-nighters in the library, every exam, every small victory — that was all in the real world. You have been living in it. This is real.”
2. 性吧导航 Interim President Denis O’Brien, MBA ’87
“What has your higher education journey looked like? Chances are, it took courage. It took grit. It took overcoming obstacles and facing challenges head on.
“Most of you probably started here at Drexel in the shadows of the pandemic. It was a time marked by keeping our distance. Staying apart. Avoiding social events. It was an uncertain time, and sometimes painful. Plans came to an abrupt halt. We all grappled with a new norm.
“But you — all of you — seized the moment. You found the opportunity in adversity. And you are here today. Soak it in.”
3. Executive Vice President, Nina Henderson Provost and University Professor of 性吧导航 Paul E. Jensen, PhD
“In my experience, many graduates don’t realize just how much they have grown until they look back and connect the dots. But that growth is real and profound. It happened during late nights of studying, in the midst of co-op workdays, over conversations in class that changed your mind or opened it. You’ve taken on challenges, built relationships, navigated setbacks and discovered new strengths. What you’ve achieved here is your own. It’s not a gift we’ve given you — it’s the result of your work, your persistence, your questions and your courage.”
4. Katie Moorcones, political science and sociology ’25, vice president of the Undergraduate Student Government Association
“To Drexel’s Class of ’25, I struggled with writing this speech because as much as I want to say before we embark on this journey into the work force blah blah blah — we’ve already had real work experience, so instead good luck on picking what’s for dinner every night, paying your bills, trying to go to the gym regularly, having a bedtime and many of the other nuances of being a real adult.”
5. Anil Kumar Karapa, MS cybersecurity ’25, executive vice president of the Graduate Student Association
“I remember applying to Drexel, and of all the amazing things this school has to offer, one thing stood out to me the most: It’s our mascot, Mario the Magnificent dragon. Honestly, I feel like winning the odds of challenging anyone to show me a better school mascot … especially compared to that of to our neighbors!”
6. Justin Best
“That skill — setting a terrifying goal — can transfer to anything in life: entrepreneurs launching startups that could fail; doctors, nurses, researchers and other medical professionals pushing the boundaries of healthcare for a better world; teachers transforming lives, from elementary school to universities; artists and designers reshaping the world in the lens we look at it through; engineers transforming challenging problems into tangible solutions.
“Any profession or ambition can set Olympic-level goals. It should scare you. Good. Fear of the outcome means it matters. The magnitude of the goal is what makes you get out of bed when it’s cold, dark and everything hurts.”
7. Interim President O’Brien
“This pride that you feel today? Always remember it. All of the experiences that you have confronted in the past years? Carry them forward. And this community that helped you get here? Keep it close.”
8. Justin Best
“The world is noisy. People will tell you about AI taking jobs, economic uncertainty, about all the reasons you should play it safe, or you need to be fearful. Drown them out. It has never been easier to work extremely hard towards something. Technology has connected us. Collaboration is nearly instant. The path to achievement across discipline is clearer than ever. But you must be willing to push beyond what you believe is possible and get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
9. Provost Jensen
“This moment doesn’t demand perfection — it asks for curiosity, for hard work and for the willingness to keep learning from those around you. And don’t forget that your voice, your values and your story can make a difference for others, too. These are skills you’ve practiced every day here. The future you are stepping into is waiting for the unique contributions that only you can make.”
10. Anil Kumar Karapa
“If you haven’t had your daily reminder yet… THE EAGLES WON THE SUPER BOWL … ! GO BIRDS!” [Editor’s note: the crowd responded to this with the Eagles chant.]