UC's record fall graduating class celebrates commencement

UC conferred 2,660 degrees upon 2,643 graduates in front of a packed house at Fifth Third Arena. The university’s largest-ever fall celebration came on the heels of UC’s record-setting enrollment this fall.

“The day you earn your degree should be cherished as a significant milestone in your life,” President Neville Pinto told graduates.

He noted that UC alumni include a U.S. president, state governors, Supreme Court justices, Hall of Fame athletes, inventors, artists and more.

“But recognize this: Each of these successful alumni started exactly where you did,” Pinto said. “They chose to be educated at the University of Cincinnati — to be Bearcats.”

In his commencement address, Pinto urged graduates to maintain their intellectual humility as they engage the world.

“While you have learned a great deal, there is still so much to learn,” he said.

“My greatest pleasure is to constantly learn from you, our students,” Pinto said. ”Your fresh and varied perspectives, your optimism, your creativity, your originality and your pure joy of life teach and inspire me.”

Before the ceremony, graduates gathered outside Fifth Third Arena to take photos and celebrate with their families.

Leslie Shubat celebrated her master’s degree at the College of Nursing with her grandparents and her daughter. She completed her coursework online, which helped with her grueling work schedule.

“Once I got into the swing of it, it got easier,” Shubat said. “But it had been 14 years since I completed my bachelor’s degree.”

“Education is very important in our family,” her grandmother, Betty Susbauer, said. “She worked really hard. I’m particularly proud of her for this because she got her degree while working full time and raising three kids.”

Justin Manzo posed for photos with his parents. He earned a bachelor’s degree from UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business. He said he was most thankful to have great classmates and professors with formidable business experience.

“UC does a great job of bringing in professors with real-world experience in the business world,” Manzo said. “You gain real insights into how business works.”

Board of Trustees Chairman Phil Collins congratulated graduates for their many accomplishments.

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

He delivered the student address 35 years ago to his graduating class at UC, he said. And Friday’s ceremony was special to him because it would be his last as a retiring board member.

Collins welcomed the grads to the community of more than 350,000 Bearcat alumni around the world and urged them to stay in touch with their UC friends and to remain engaged with the university as they start their next chapters.

“UC will have an impact on your life in ways that will become more appreciated as time goes on,” he said. “Find something beyond your career and family that matters and get involved. You’ll be amazed at how much impact you can have merely by showing up and volunteering.”

The Board of Trustees awarded a Doctor of Arts and Humane Letters Honoris Causa to board Vice Chairwoman Kim M. Heiman, managing director for Cincinnati-based Standard Textile Co.

Heiman is managing director at Standard Textile Co., a global supplier of innovative products for health care and hospitality markets. Her various responsibilities have included international business development, product development, manufacturing operations and management of Standard’s Interiors Division.

She began her career working on Wall Street as an institutional trader before relocating to Israel where she worked for financial institutions Bank Leumi and Shearson/Clal and Comstock Trading.

Heiman was appointed to UC's Board of Trustees by former Gov. John Kasich in 2015, serving as vice chair for two years and chairwoman in 2022.

She also serves on the board of the Rockwern Academy and the Jewish Agency Board of Governors. She is past president of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and co-chaired Cincinnati’s United Way campaign with her husband in 2018.

“Your achievements provide an example of excellence and commitment to our new graduates,” Pinto said.

Pinto touted her business success in turning a family business into a leading international brand. But he also credited her commitment to family, faith and community generosity. And he thanked her for her service both to UC's board and to the many other organizations with whom she has shared her advice and expertise.

“Your heart is forever full. Your mind is always open. Your compassion is contagious and your positivity is a force-multiplier,” Pinto said. “ All of us have learned to dream bigger, dig deeper, laugh harder and live wilder because of you.”

Student Jadyn Riggs from UC’s College-Conservatory of Music sang the National Anthem and led students in singing the Alma Mater. The UC Pershing Rifles Color Guard presented the colors. Bearcat Bands performed for the ceremony.

In her student address, UC College of Arts and Sciences graduate Grace Liette noted that the class of 2024 persevered through a global pandemic when it seemed like much of the rest of the world came to a sudden stop.

Liette urged her graduating class to keep that perseverance in mind when they face new challenges and obstacles.

“When we look back we see a path shaped not just by our successes but by our resilience — the ability to bounce back and the strength we found within ourselves and each other,” she said.

Featured image at top: UC celebrated its fall commencement Friday at Fifth Third Arena. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand