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The Commencement ceremony started soon after the Mass, with the Class of 2025 and faculty processing onto the academic quadrangle. College President Dr. Paul J. O’Reilly gave the opening remarks, thanking guests, friends, and family for attending. “Rest assured that despite the troublesome times we live in, it is not those who make the most noise, organize violent protests, that will have the final impact on our society,” he said. “You should be confident that the men and women who graduate today will, in their quiet way, lead us to a better tomorrow.”

Class Speaker Anthony Santine (’25) stepped up to the podium next, reflecting on the desire for truth instilled in the liberally educated in his Senior Address. “My friends, what greater gift could we ask of an education?” he inquired his classmates. “This education has taught us to ponder our own nature, and one cannot understand a nature without seeing it in light of its end. To be human is to be rational, to be rational is to have a yearning for the truth, and to desire truth is to desire God. Even amidst all the pangs of parting and tearful goodbyes, we should be struck with an incredible gratitude for this priceless gift.”

Dr. O’Reilly then introduced this year’s Commencement Speaker, former College President Dr. Michael F. McLean, who had welcomed the Class of 2025 as freshmen during his last year as president and now had the honor of sending them off. He urged them to make use of the gift of their education in their lives going forward, giving examples from the College’s history to illustrate his point.

“The College has approached its challenges collaboratively and cooperatively, in a way that preserves friendship and mutual respect among colleagues, encourages open and honest conversation, communication, and compromise — building on smaller points of agreement and working toward consensus on the larger issues in question,” he said. “It is an approach that has worked well for us and one that will work well for you as you endeavor to serve your families, your communities, your country, and your Church in a culture that is not always friendly or supportive.”

With the keynote address complete, members of the Class of 2025 took turns ascending the stage and, presented with academic hoods and diplomas, became graduates of Thomas Aquinas College. After applause for the last graduate died down, Dr. O’Reilly read the College’s “Charge to the Graduates,” urging all to “live for God alone … no matter the conditions of the world.” To end the ceremony, the newest TAC alumni sang Byrd’s Non Nobis Domine, giving glory to God in its final act as a class.