Florida State University held its fall 2025 commencement ceremonies on Friday, December 12, at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, recognizing nearly 3,000 graduates for their achievements. More than 2,000 students attended in person.
The day began with a doctoral hooding ceremony. President Richard McCullough addressed the graduates: “It is with tremendous pride and admiration that I stand before you today to congratulate you on the culmination of years of dedication, resilience and tireless effort in the pursuit of academic excellence,” McCullough said. “I urge you all to embrace your esteemed role as highly respected scholars and leaders. You’re actively shaping the future of industries, academia, the arts and scholarly achievements in society.”
Provost Jim Clark encouraged new doctoral recipients to take an active role in advancing their fields. “A steward is someone who trains with a critical eye toward the future,” Clark said. “A steward must be willing to take risks and move the discipline or profession or practice of the art forward. Mental toughness and a deep passion have led you to this important day.”
The afternoon ceremony recognized bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist degree recipients. Student Body President Carson Dale reflected on student perseverance through various challenges: “Unconquered means refusing to let hardship have the final say,” Dale said. “Life will get difficult — perseverance will set you apart. When people ask you how you keep going, you tell them: I learned that at Florida State.”
Christopher Marley, a former Marine Corps corporal and ICU nurse who suffered a stroke in 2021 but returned to complete his MBA with support from FSU’s Student Veterans Center, led attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.
President McCullough also acknowledged Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and Board of Governors Vice Chairman Tim Serio for their roles in maintaining Florida’s public university system as No. 1 nationally for nine consecutive years—a distinction he described as “an unprecedented feat in higher education.”
Representative Lawrence McClure served as keynote speaker at one ceremony. He noted his own path without a college degree: “Instead of becoming a Rhodes Scholar, I am a ‘road scholar,’” he said. “Everything I learned was on the road.” He offered three life lessons: maintain relationships even when challenged; learn from setbacks rather than complain; and use time productively.
“There is value in doing all you can to maintain as many good relationships as possible,” McClure said.
“Get back on your feet and get back to work,” he added. “Time is the most finite resource — you can either use your time to complain, or you can use your time to make a difference.”
He quoted Winston Churchill: “If you persist, use grit and determination, and never, never, never give up, you will find success.” Concluding his remarks: “You can outwork and outperform your contemporaries and achieve real success,” he said. “I still believe the sky’s the limit.”
At another ceremony, retired men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton addressed graduates after leading FSU’s program for 23 seasons.
“His legacy goes deeper than wins,” McCullough said about Hamilton. “Ninety-seven percent of the seniors who played for him earned their degrees. He taught discipline. He taught patience. He taught his players how to handle success and how to handle setbacks.”
Hamilton spoke about being first in his family to attend college: “Me getting my education changed the whole culture of our family.” He emphasized mentorship: “You are where you are in life because of your mentors,” Hamilton said. He advised graduates: “If you feel like you need help, you can listen to someone who is wise, someone with experience.”
He further challenged graduates on work ethic: “Don’t ever let anyone outwork you — you control your own destiny,” Hamilton said.
Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Dybalski led both patriotic observances during commencement events; she completed her master’s degree in clinical social work with a perfect GPA after serving nine years in the Marine Corps.
FSU awarded 2,982 degrees this semester—1,946 bachelor’s degrees; 811 master’s/specialist degrees; 112 doctoral degrees; five Juris Doctor degrees; 106 Juris Master’s degrees; two LLMs—adding these alumni to its network exceeding 420,000 worldwide.
More information about commencement can be found at commencement.fsu.edu.
