As the class of 2025 graduates from Long Island colleges and universities, the graduates step into a world full of challenges, but also a world of infinite possibility.
And if this year’s commencement speakers had one collective message, it was this: The path ahead won’t be handed to you. You have to make it yourself. While the campuses differed, the message remained consistent: Forge your own path, keep learning, and don’t let fear or comparison define you.
“If you can’t find a way, make a way,” said artist Colin Goldberg during his address at Five Towns College. Reflecting on personal setbacks and the nonlinear nature of creative careers, he emphasized that roadblocks often serve as signposts. “These obstacles often shape our lives and point us in the direction that we’re meant to go.”
Singer Michelle Dowdy, who also spoke at Five Towns, echoed that spirit. “Success is not a straight line,” she said. “Your dream is not dead as long as you believe in it.”
Dowdy also called on fellow creatives to keep evolving and lift each other up.
“Artists never stop learning and never stop evolving,” she added, noting that while personal growth matters, so does connection. “It’s the friends you meet along the way.”
KEEP SHOWING UP
At Long Island University Post (LIU) commencement, Joseph Kaupp offered practical wisdom: “Do all the things your mother would have taught you. Look people in the eye, shake their hand, say please and thank you.”
But the philosophy of this co-founder and CEO of Bainbridge Health software startup boiled down to consistency and character.
“Do the right thing, show up, and march to the beat of your own drum,” he said. “These three things will never let you down.”
Kaupp revised the famous Woody Allen quote about success being 80% showing up.
“I would actually revise that closer to 95%,” he said, reinforcing the importance of steady presence throughout life.
THINK CRITICALLY, HUMBLY
Also at LIU, Global Vice President for Healthcare Education at Mars Veterinary Health Dr. Andrew Maccabe, took a cerebral route, delving into cognitive science and the dangers of lazy thinking.
“Guard against your cognitive biases and don’t believe everything you think,” he cautioned. “System one is gullible and biased. System two is in charge of doubting and unbelieving, but it is sometimes busy and often lazy.”
Maccabe also challenged graduates to embrace uncertainty and ignorance.
“Admit your ignorance. Embrace it. Revel in it,” he noted. He later added, “Keep wondering, because the world is full of wonder and you are about to embark on a wonderful journey.”
At Stony Brook University’s commencement, student speaker Amira Gbagba, urged has fellow graduates to keep an open mind.
“If you have a dream, chase it,” she said. “If you’re unsure what to chase — stay curious. Try things. Ask questions.”
TRUST YOURSELF, STAY AUTHENTIC
Hofstra University commencement speaker James D’Addario urged graduates to listen to their inner compass.
“Lead with your talent, discover what you’re most passionate about, and you will ultimately be in your element,” he said, also warning against going at it alone. “While you should always follow your gut, you should never fly the plane solo.”
D’Addario also emphasizes self-knowledge over social validation. “Offer a way to know who you are, not the you that social media shapes, but the authentic you.”
The theme of authenticity continued at SUNY Old Westbury‘s commencement, where SUNY Oneonta President Alberto J.F. Cardelle challenged traditional labels and encouraged a bold, unapologetic embrace of one’s identity.
“Lean into who we are, what our lived experiences have taught us, and make that our asset, not a deficit defined by others,” he said.
Cardelle also quoted Spanish poet Antonio Machado to drive home the point: “Traveler, your footprints are the only road, nothing else. Traveler, there is no road. You make your own path as you walk.”
LEAD WITH HOPE
Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO supreme allied commander and now the dean of Tufts University Fletcher School, offered leadership lessons at Adelphi University‘s commencement.
“A leader is a dealer in hope. Not in fear, not in chaos, not in anger,” he said. He advised students to choose their mentors wisely, reject pessimism, and never take counsel of their fears, adding that, “Optimism is a force multiplier.”
He ended the commencement speech with, “Be that kind of leader. Be that kind of citizen. Class of ’25, go make some history.”
THE ROAD AHEAD
Though their commencement messages varied, some being philosophical, others practical or poetic, the speakers all agreed on one thing: Graduates aren’t just stepping into the world, they’re shaping it.
The road ahead may be uncertain, but every student has the ability and the responsibility to walk it with intention, integrity, resilience, and heart. If they carry curiosity and kindness, they already have what they need.
The class of 2025 won’t just enter the world, they’ll leave their mark on it, and as Kaupp said at LIU commencement: “You have a choice to live life by default or by design.”
