Marist Celebrates Graduate and Doctoral Students
May 28, 2025 鈥� On Friday, more than 400 students were honored during the graduate Commencement ceremony held in McCann Arena. Marist University鈥檚 graduate programs span a wide range of disciplines, including the MBA, MPA, MA in Integrated Marketing Communication, teacher education, physician assistant studies, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and more.
President Kevin Weinman welcomed a crowd of proud family members and friends, offering words of encouragement and celebration for the graduate students鈥攅ach of whom followed a unique path to reach this milestone.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e reached the finish line of a really impressive journey, and established the next starting line for the rest of your careers,鈥� he said. 鈥淢any of you have juggled jobs, family responsibilities, civic obligations, community service, and other duties alongside your studies at Marist. For you, life hasn鈥檛 always been a straight line.
John Liporace '88, an accomplished business leader and dedicated philanthropist, delivered the commencement address. A recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Medal, he shared insights and inspiration with the graduating class.
鈥淲e need bold, committed people--people like you to step in where systems are failing, to build bridges where institutions are leaving gaps, to lift others not because there is a quota to meet, but because you can,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, Class of 2025 let me be direct. Success without impact is empty. Ambition without purpose is hollow.鈥�
In the Graduate Student Address, Basma Awadallah 鈥� a native of Egypt who moved to the United States at age 13 and earned her Master of Business Administration 鈥� reflected on the graduate student experience and the journey ahead.
鈥淭oday we don鈥檛 just mark the end of our academic journey; we also celebrate the many paths we鈥檝e taken to reach this point鈥攁nd the boundless opportunities that await us,鈥� said Basma. 鈥淲hen I first set foot on the Marist campus, I could never have predicted how much this place would shape me鈥攏ot just academically, but personally.鈥�
A Special Honor for Physician Assistant and Doctor of Physical Therapy Students
For graduates of Marist鈥檚 Physician Assistant (PA) and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs, Commencement marked both a proud achievement and the beginning of careers dedicated to serving others.
PA graduates at the departmental award ceremony. Photo by Carlo de Jesus/Marist University.
On Friday, PA students received awards and were inducted into the Pi Alpha Honor Society during , where they exchanged their short white coats for long ones and recited the Hippocratic Oath鈥攕ymbolizing their transition to health professionals.
DPT graduates at their hooding ceremony and reception. Photo by Carlo de Jesus/Marist University.
DPT graduates were honored in a hooding ceremony and reception, signifying their shift from students to practitioners. Having completed their three-year program in December, most have already passed the National Physical Therapy Exam and are actively working in the field.
