Commencement Celebrates Class of 2025: “The World Needs You”
May 19, 2025
- Author
- Mary Elizabeth DeAngelis
They’ve spent the past four years “under renovation,” and on Sunday, Davidson College’s class of 2025 celebrated Commencement and the achievements, growth and ambition they’ll bring to the wider world.
“All of you make us proud, for your brilliance, your determination and your contributions to our distinctive college,” President Doug Hicks ’90 said. “We’re grateful for what you accomplished as students and what you’ll do next.
“The world needs you.”
A warm, sunny spring day further brightened the college’s 188th commencement, which brought joyful families and friends from around the world to campus, and the ceremony via livestream to loved ones who couldn’t make the trip.
The 502 graduates represented 21 countries, 46 American states and Washington, D.C.
It's a Davidson tradition for incoming first-year students to take a class photo during the week of orientation.
Their studies, research and volunteer work during their Davidson years took them from neighboring communities to faraway countries. They tutored struggling readers, created cyber security programs and tackled diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s to cancer to diabetes.
Their talents graced athletic fields and courts, art galleries and theaters. They worked passionately to make their world healthier, safer, smarter and kinder.
And they’ll continue that in their professional lives.
Some will head straight into careers in financial, technology and non-profit fields. Others will pursue post-graduate studies in medicine, law and academia. And some will study, research and teach through fellowships abroad.
Their most popular majors include biology (79), psychology (70), political science ( 64) and economics ( 60).
Their ranks include eight John M. Belk Scholars, bringing the Belk alumni total to 173. The Belk Scholarship recognizes students for leadership, creativity, compassion, integrity, intellectual curiosity and outstanding academic achievement. The award, which covers tuition, fees, room, board and two $5,000 stipends for special study abroad, is one of the country’s most competitive and generous undergraduate scholarships.
Hicks told the graduates that they, the college and the country continue to be a work in progress.
“We as a college are constantly under renovation. We are not perfect, but we aim to improve,” Hicks said, then quoted the preamble to the nation’s constitution, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…
“That phrase continues to inspire us reminding us that we should continually be striving to make our nation better. At Davidson we have more work to do to ensure that the remarkable kaleidoscope of people here models mutual respect for everyone.”
The graduates bring him hope, he said, because of their willingness to learn, grow and work toward solving complex problems.
Understand that you, too, are under renovation. How do I know that? Because I see your humanity. I’ve gotten to know so many of you, I have witnessed your transformation into people who are ready to lead and serve. That was the work of Davidson College, and you will carry it out.
At another time of extreme division, President Abraham Lincoln called on Americans to ‘“embrace their better angels,’” Hicks said. “I charge you to embrace your better angels. The world needs you and your humane instincts.”
Commencement 2025: Sights & Sounds
Teaching & Service Awards
The college also handed out awards to professors and community members. They include:
Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award
Students nominate professors for the annual award. The professors will each receive $7,500, and each gets to direct an additional $7,500 to fund a campus project of their choice. This year’s recipients are:
Shireen Campbell, Professor of English & Educational Studies and Director of the College Writing Program
Nominators said Campbell, the founder of Davidson’s Writing Center in 1995, has shaped individual students as well as institutional approaches to writing and literary studies.
“As a passionate advocate against book censorship in schools, she extends her commitment to intellectual freedom into the wider community, bringing her scholarly expertise to shape public discourse,” the award says.
It cites her “unwavering dedication to students, profound impact on their writing and critical thinking skills, leadership in creating spaces where students can thrive intellectually, advocacy for literary freedom beyond campus borders, and the joyful enthusiasm she brings to every aspect of teaching.”
Amanda Ewington, Chair and Professor of Russian Studies
Nominators said she helps students find clarity in complexity, weaving literature and history into current world events.
“Her ability to guide students in untangling Tolstoy’s intricate battle scenes and philosophical dialogues is plenty proof of this,” the award says. “Her students’ lives are enriched as a result of her love for teaching, for her field, and for working with and honing our faculties.”
The award also cites Ewington for her work as a Davidson 4 Ukraine leader.
“Her commitment to raising awareness about the war in Ukraine and advocating for Ukrainian refugees in our own community and beyond sets an example for students of what it means to be an engaged scholar, teacher and citizen.”
Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards
The awards go to one graduating student and one member of the larger Davidson Community who exemplify “the fine spiritual qualities practically applied to daily living … persons who have given unselfish service without due recognition.”
Student Award: Mills Jordan
A political science major and English minor, Jordan, one professor said, “stands out as one of the most gifted, socially conscious, passionate and committed students I have encountered since beginning my tenure here.”
Nominators said he transformed every assignment into “a purposeful exploration with real-world implications.”
Jordan, a Chidsey Leadership Fellow, Honor Council member and committed researcher, once turned a project about equity in education into a presentation at a statewide conference, sharing practical handouts for educators there.
“His leadership is grounded in humility and empathy … he approaches every role with thoughtfulness and a steady moral compass,” one nominator said. “He shows up, listens, and guides, understanding that real change begins with presence and consistency.”
His goals include teaching middle school and later drafting education policy in South Carolina.
“What sets him apart is not just what he does, but how he does it. He is a rare individual who listens first, leads with compassion, and acts with intention,” another nominator said. “In every interaction, he exudes warmth, respect, and a sincere belief in people’s potential.”
“He is the kind of person who inspires hope in others, simply by being himself.”
Community Member Award: Kathy Barton, Retired Staff Member
Nominators describe Barton as a caretaker who tended friends and family through serious illness and aging, “all the while radiating kindness and generosity.”
That included taking care of her daughter whose four-year bout with cancer ended with her death at 32.
Her determination to help others struggling with the disease grew stronger, nominators said:
“Despite living a mother’s worst nightmare, she continued — even in the depths of her own grief — to work, connect and advocate for the community of cancer survivors and patients.”
Barton worked as a staff member for 20 years before her retirement last spring. She had a sign near her office, inviting anyone who needed a stapler or office supplies to see her, “a metaphor of the welcome she extended to all.”
She and her husband also spent years mentoring incarcerated young men.
“Her faith informs her approach,” the award says. “To those suffering, she offers encouragement, prayer and teaching. She has rejoiced with people; she has grieved with people.”
Honorary Degree Recipient
Bill Harris, Former Catawba Nation Chief, Master Potter
Davidson College sits upon the ancestral lands of the Catawba Nation. Harris, the citation says, is a master potter and former chief of the Catawba Nation “whose efforts on behalf of his people model the life of leadership and service we hope for in our graduates.”
He became involved in tribal government and politics during a critical point in the Catawba Nation’s history. The Catawbas had been dispossessed of most of their land by the mid-20th century. The federal government and the state of South Carolina denied their existence as a Native nation. Against tremendous odds, the Catawbas advocated for restoration of their government and asserted their sovereign treaty rights. They restored their government-to-government relationship with the United States in 1993. Harris formed a grassroots effort to hold elections for the Catawba people as outlined in their constitution.
He ran for the office of chief in 2011 and subsequently won three elections, serving in that capacity until 2023. Under his leadership, the Catawba Nation developed important education, cultural and economic initiatives.
He learned the pottery craft from his grandmother, renowned potter Georgia Harris. He kept his promise to her, that he would one day teach others to ensure the tradition continues. As a master potter, he’s mentored and organized infrastructure to ensure, as he says, “that the Catawba’s 4,000-year-old pottery tradition continues for another 4,000 years.”
He has also supported the “We Know Corn Together” partnership with the college.
The college awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree:
“Because you served the Catawba Nation tirelessly and with good humor and supported its flourishing in its ancestral homelands, because you have mastered the art of pottery developed by your ancestors and have innovated to create breathtaking pieces that delight, inspire and embody the resilience of Catawba culture today.”
Watch the Livestream of Sunday's Ceremony:
