Northern Kentucky University recognized a total of 1,957 graduates at Saturday’s fall commencement at Truist Arena.

The day consisted of two ceremonies: graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Informatics and College of Education were recognized at 10 a.m, and graduates in the Haile College of Business and College of Health and Human Services were honored at 3 p.m.

A modest crowd gathered for the ceremonies, with many open seats available for audience members. Afternoon graduates in the College of Health and Human Services filled the rows, nearly spilling into the overflow graduate seating. The total graduate number was up around 600 from last year, as the university recognized around 1,300 graduates in December 2022.

Executive Vice President and Provost Matt Cecil welcomed the graduates, asking them to stand for recognition. Then, the provost turned to supporters in the stands and faculty members, asking graduates to recognize them in return.

The commencement address speaker, Dr. Bethany Noblitt, mathematics and statistics professor and winner of the 2023 Frank Sinton Milburn Outstanding Professor Award, experienced a last minute family emergency according to Cecil and was not present for either ceremony. Cecil, who briefly spoke in the professor’s place, said Noblitt had prepared a “wonderful tribute to her mother,” detailing the hard work, determination and persistence she possessed.

Biology graduate Chrisula Stone addressed the morning ceremony, speaking of her experience as a non-traditional student. Stone’s NKU journey began in 2016, when she started taking part-time classes as a 38-year-old transfer student. One highlight the graduate referenced was creating her own research project and being able to work with one of her closest mentors.

“The diploma you will receive is not just a piece of paper,” Stone said. “It is a representation of years of dedication to a goal that each of us set for ourselves years ago. So let’s take a moment today to just celebrate the fact that we did it.”

Jordan Schowalter, social work graduate from the College of Health and Human Services, spoke in the afternoon. He joked that attending commencement was possibly the fifth time he had been present on campus in the last couple years, as a majority of his academic program was online. Schowalter told a redemption story, as he failed almost every class his first semester and lost his scholarship due to illness and low motivation. Since then, the graduate said that he sought out help and kept fighting, earning dean’s list honors in the last years.

Schowalter shouted out many thanks for his success, including his cat, singer Ariana Grande and closest family members. “Without you all I would be nothing,” the graduate said.

President Cady Short-Thompson took the podium following the student speakers. It was her first commencement in the presidential role after beginning in October 2023. Short-Thompson excitedly told of how honored she felt to be leading the ceremony. “[Commencement] has been circled on my calendar since I arrived in October,” the president said.

Short-Thompson encouraged audiences to cheer, clap, sing and dance to celebrate their graduating students. After the conferral of degrees, graduates walked across the stage. They were greeted by the dean of their college and the university president. 

Commencement concluded with the singing of the Alma Mater by four School of the Arts students.