Wittenberg’s Class of 2025 was honored in more ways than one as part of the weeklong celebration leading up to the University’s 175th Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 17, in Commencement Hollow.

The main themes on campus throughout the week included the importance of ‘being you,’ embracing change during uncertain times, continuing to pass on the light, and remembering that this is only the beginning, so go out and make a difference while finding ‘your people’ and ‘your community’ while on that journey.

Some of the numerous events that took place leading up to Commencement were a nursing pinning ceremony, departmental celebrations, the Baccalaureate service, and the Lavender and Hitimu: Multicultural celebrations, which included energizing dance performances, student and alumni reflections, friends, family, faculty, and staff support, and a lot of tears of joy.

See full gallery of photos here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCfgDU

The sixth annual Lavender Celebration, hosted by the William A. McClain Center for Diversity, took place on Wednesday, May 14. Lavender Celebration is a pre-Commencement event that honors the achievements of Wittenberg’s LGBTQIA+ graduates and the outstanding and meaningful work that community members and allies contribute to the campus and beyond.

The event featured dinner by Parkhurst, an invocation by the David P. and Carol Matevia Endowed University Pastor Tracy Paschke-Johannes, student readings, closing remarks by Wittenberg President Michael L. Frandsen, an alumni reflection by Chad Minnick, class of 1998 and president-elect of the Wittenberg University Alumni Association Board, special dance performances by the Funk Lab Dance Center, and tunes by DJ Chaunta Banks, Wittenberg class of 2013.

“This week is all about you - a week of personal triumph and accomplishments,” Minnick told the attendees. “It’s also a week of transition - of looming jobs and job searches. Of preparing for graduate programs. Of moving to new cities with new opportunities - or moving back to your hometown, but this time with a new light and new skills. No matter how you cut it - this is a time of celebration through transition - and most of all… change.”

Minnick mentioned how proud he is of Wittenberg and all those gathered at the event for committing to the Lavender Celebration as there was not such an event during his time on campus.

Joi Garrett Scales, co-interim vice president for student development, interim dean of student engagement, and director of McClain Center for Diversity, hosted the event and gave a shout-out to several students who were recipients of the Outstanding Scholar Award, which acknowledged those graduating seniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. She also recognized several students with the McClain Center Organization Dedication Award given to graduating students who have contributed time, love, and talent throughout their time at Wittenberg to the causes of organizations advised by the McClain Center for Diversity.

Three students received special awards voted on by their peers. The Tiger Up and Out Award was presented to Molly Specht from Grove City, Ohio; the Perseverance Award was given to Anaiah Lightner from Indianapolis, Indiana; and the Passing Light Award. After the presentation of awards, students were given lavender cords to wear at graduation if they chose to. Each student was ‘corded’ by their chosen mentors/advocates or allies.

The Lavender Celebration is a tradition that began in the mid-1990s across the country. A cultural celebration that recognizes LGBTQIA+ students of all ethnicities and acknowledges their persistence, leadership, and contributions to the University. Wittenberg joined the many colleges and universities in celebrating this occasion in 2019. It has since become a University tradition.

Following that celebration, Wittenberg’s William A. McClain Center for Diversity hosted the sixth annual Hitimu: Multicultural Celebration honoring the University’s multicultural students on Friday, May 16.

Graduating seniors were recognized at the Hitimu (meaning ‘graduate’ in Swahili) event in front of friends, family, and members of the Wittenberg University community in the Center Dining Room (CDR) of the Benham-Pence Student Center. All students received a stole that they could wear at graduation and were recognized for their work in the various student groups throughout their time at Wittenberg. The stoles graduates wear collectively celebrate their identities, journeys, and individual achievements as students in obtaining college diplomas, as well as the legacies that Black, Latinx, Hawaiian/Polynesian, and Filipino graduating students have created and actively cultivated here at Wittenberg.

“As I shared at last year’s Hitimu celebration, this event has evolved over time and has come to be an opportunity for us to recognize the multicultural landscape of our student body and aims to celebrate our students through various cultural traditions and forms of expression,” Scales said.

“We will continue moving in that direction with our recognition and celebration. This academic year has been a hard one, but our graduates have demonstrated that they have the grit and ‘know-how’ to navigate this next phase of their lives with success despite challenges. Now more than ever, we need spaces like these where we can be ourselves, take a deep breath, enjoy each other’s company, and reflect on good times had and accomplishments won. So, tonight, we choose joy - I hope to see smiles on faces, head bopping to the music and dancing, lip-syncing to familiar lyrics, and other expressive forms of celebration. You deserve it!”

The event also featured dinner by Parkhurst, an invocation by Pastor Paschke-Johannes, student readings, class of 2025 reflections, closing statement by President Frandsen, tunes by DJ Banks, and special dance performances by Diamond Green and Taylor Reese of the Funk Lab Center in Kettering, Ohio, and by Alexandrea and Viktoria Skinner.

Several students received the Outstanding Scholar Award and the McClain Center Organization Dedication Award. Three students also received special awards voted on by their peers. The Bridge-Builder Award and the Passing Light Award were presented to Naevon Boykin from Bowie, Maryland, and the Perseverance Award was given to Jibril Mohamed from Columbus, Ohio.