Graduates celebrate milestones at commencement

The University of Cincinnati celebrated its summer commencement with an enthusiastic crowd of family and supporters at Fifth Third Arena.

UC recognized the accomplishments of 1,960 students with a doctoral hooding, master's recognition and baccalaureate program.

In his commencement address President Neville Pinto spoke about the importance of kindness.

Pinto said he knows UC grads are kind because he has seen it firsthand.

“All over the university, in every college and department, I hear about kindness by students and toward them,” he said.

“During COVID, for example, the College-Conservatory of Music organized Sew Masks 4 Cincy. Volunteers sewed an amazing 15,000 masks to donate to hospitals and first responders,” Pinto said.

He urged grads to make space for kindness as they venture out to new horizons.

“In addition to practicing and remembering kindness, I hope you will expect it,” he said. “Because human kindness really is more common than we think or tend to notice.”

UC conferred 1,975 degrees upon 1,960 graduates. Some graduates earned multiple degrees. UC awarded 187 associate degrees, 716 bachelor's degrees, 899 master's degrees and 173 doctoral degrees.

About 14% of graduates are first-generation college students. And 50 students in the summer class are graduates of Cincinnati Public Schools. Nearly 5% of summer grads are U.S. veterans or dependents of veterans.

Summer graduates hail from 44 states and 56 countries across five continents.

Among the graduates was UC College of Arts and Sciences student Tyler Scott, a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, and Mike Harris, who contributed to the UC men's basketball team's Elite Eight appearance in the 1993 NCAA tournament. Chris Moore, a wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, also graduated Friday but did not attend the ceremony.

UC has 22 former players in the NFL's 2024 class and all are graduates.

Seated in the bleachers of Fifth Third Arena was Gabrielle Williams, who made UC history Friday as the first graduate of the College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies. The Board of Trustees established the college in late 2022.

Williams returned to school after working more than 10 years in hospitality and wellness. She is also the first student at UC to earn a bachelor’s degree in professional studies under the new college. Professional studies tailors coursework to the unique needs of entrepreneurs such as Williams.

Williams said the program was especially beneficial to her since she already had practical work experience that informed her choices in classes.

“It was perfect for me. It’s great for fine-tuning your career,” she said.

Dean Michelle Clare congratulated Williams for her notable firsts in the college.

“With experience at its core, UC’s bachelor of arts in professional studies is designed with adult learners like Gabrielle in mind,” Clare said. “The flexibility of the program allows students to progress at their own pace and to gain credit from previous life experience. This degree represents a leap forward for individuals who want to advance in their careers or those seeking to fulfill the life goal of graduating from college.”

Williams owned a spa and worked at a national hotel chain. She wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree from UC so she would have more management opportunities in the hospitality industry. But now she’s open to new opportunities that are coming her way through her networking at UC.

“One of the best things about this past year is all of my professors are practicing what they preach about the growth mindset,” she said. “It’s about leading through curiosity — holding space for the what-ifs and allowing others to influence you when you recognize they make a good point.”

Her program allowed her to tailor her education to her own professional development.

“It’s a build-your-own program. You earn core credits but then you choose classes you want,” she said.

Williams said it was not easy earning a bachelor’s degree while working full time. But she is proud of her accomplishments. And like many other grads on this special day, she is optimistic about the future.

“I consider myself a community builder. I’m really looking forward to connecting with other like-minded entrepreneurs to see what we can bring to the Cincinnati area,” she said.

UC Board of Trustees Chairman Phil Collins, a UC alumnus, congratulated graduates and urged them to stay engaged with their alma mater.

"Our board views commencement as the most important day in the life of the university,” he said.