Taking the Next Steps

Taking the next steps after graduation, but taking those steps boldly, confidently, courageously, and bravely were the words of wisdom imparted on the Knox College Class of 2025 graduates during a ceremony held on Sunday, June 8, 2025.

Graduates, their families, and friends joined together on South Lawn, celebrating the work done by the more than 200 graduates, as well as the work they must now do as they venture out into the world.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker delivered the Commencement address, offering words of real-world wisdom along with his best ‘dad-vice’ for the graduates and those in attendance. He saved his most valuable words for the end of his speech, highlighting what makes a Knox education so special.

“I had a few invitations to deliver commencement speeches this year. But I wanted to come to Knox College because no place in America feels more suitable to this moment,” Governor Pritzker said. “This college was established in 1837 in rural Illinois on the idea that slavery should be opposed in all its forms—physical, spiritual, intellectual’ and the notion that all people, regardless of race, sex or means, have the right to an education. Ignore the coastal institutions who love to brag about their pedigree and history. You will hold a diploma from a college that outshines them in a heritage that is exceedingly rare—a community built around the concept that our lives should be lived every day… with courage.”

The governor challenged the graduates to pursue greatness with modesty and bravery. He said setting an example in times of crisis or difficulty will set them apart and make them leaders in their communities and beyond.

Governor Pritzker was one of three people receiving honorary degrees.

Theaster Gates was presented for a Doctor of Arts by Professor of Art History Gregory Gilbert. Mary Kent Knight ’60 was presented for a Doctor of Humane Letters by Knight Distinguished Chair for the Study of Religion and Culture Robert Geraci. Governor Pritzker, being presented by Knox College Trustee and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon ’88, was given a Doctor of Laws.

Throughout Commencement, speakers praised the Class of 2025 for the work they did as students but also emboldened them to continue their pursuits of knowledge as they move on from the College. 

“Now, as we head out into the ‘real world,’ whatever that means, let’s not forget what we’ve actually learned here,” Senior Class Speaker Pareesae Imtiaz said during her address. “We are adaptable. We are resourceful. And we are truly, gloriously, unhinged. And that’s our strength.”

Knox President C. Andrew McGadney reminded graduates of the obstacles they overcame and to always keep a spot in their hearts and minds for their alma mater.

“Graduates, many of us started our Knox journey together in 2021, and I will remember your class fondly as we navigated a new environment coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic,” President McGadney said. “You have left your mark on Knox, and all of us, in ways that few classes before you have done. You persevered, you challenged us and each other, you stepped into the unknown, sometimes with hesitation, and emerged on the other side, confident and strong.”

The day was not only for the graduates, as Chair of Knox College Board of Trustees John Lawler ’88 also showed appreciation for those who helped the newest Prairie Fire alums.

“On behalf of the Board let me express our gratitude to the faculty of the College,” Lawler said. “They are not merely instructors; they are the stewards of our mission, the very soul of this institution. Their tireless dedication, commitment to truth, and willingness to challenge and inspire are essential to the success we celebrate here today.”

An example of one such faculty member was Burkhardt Distinguished Associate Professor of History Konrad Hamilton, who was awarded the 2025 Presidential Award for Faculty Excellence. 

After the students were presented for degrees by Provost and Dean of the College Michael A. Schneider, President McGadney awarded degrees to the new graduates on behalf of the Board of Trustees. Those assembled expressed their pride, jubilation, and all-out relief with applause, cheers, and yells signaling the end of one journey and the beginning of the next.