'We believe in you': Class of 2023 celebrated at a festive Commencement

Lawrence University celebrated the Class of 2023 with a festive Commencement sendoff Sunday on Main Hall Green.

Cheers from family, friends, and the Lawrence community greeted 310 graduates as they walked across the Commencement stage, built onto the portico of the iconic Main Hall.

“On behalf of the full faculty and staff of this university, I tell you that our hearts are bursting with pride,” President Laurie A. Carter told the graduates. “As you walk forward into this next phase of life, know that we believe in you—that we walk with you—and that we wish you the very best.”

Photo gallery: See images from Commencement 2023

Confetti burst in the air and graduation caps were tossed as Matt Murphy '06, president of the Lawrence University Alumni Association, finished leading the graduates through the alumni pledge at the close of Commencement. The graduates then recessed through the Lawrence Arch, near the intersection of College Avenue and Drew Street, marking the beginning of a new tradition—first-year students now process through the Arch during Welcome Week while graduates walk through the Arch at the close of Commencement, providing a bookend to their Lawrence experience.

Families, friends, and fellow Lawrentians lined the sidewalk near the Arch, greeting graduates with cheers and high-fives, before graduates and their families gathered for a reception in front of Mudd Library.

Harold Jordan ’72, a successful attorney, business leader, and longtime supporter of his alma mater, delivered a Commencement address in which he encouraged graduates to find their joy despite the many difficulties in the world. That joy, he said, may not always come in the job that pays the bills but rather in those side hustles that can nurture the soul.

“You will likely find careers in the areas in which you concentrated,” Jordan said. “But I suggest that you at least entertain the idea that there are other potential pursuits out there that are not in your wheelhouse that you just might find interesting, fulfilling, and, yes, rewarding.”

Tee Karki, an international student from Kathmandu, Nepal, addressed classmates as the senior class speaker, telling them they have inspired her over the past four years.

“When I look back at every warm hug or look of comfort shared with the people in my life, I can’t help but feel love,” she said.

That includes the surrounding Appleton community—from the downtown farmer’s market on Saturday mornings in the fall to the cool embrace of a Wisconsin winter.

“Appleton was already someone else’s hometown before we all came here,” Karki said. “However, I won’t lie to anyone and say it doesn’t feel a little bit like mine now, too—the genuine kind of hometown that no matter how much you don’t like parts of the weather or how frustrating it can be sometimes you seem to always miss it when you leave.”

See the list of Latin honors for the Class of 2023

Hilt, Pickett, Sattler honored with faculty awards

Watch a replay of Commencement

The pomp and circumstance of Commencement was on full display. Faculty wore traditional regalia as they made their way across College Avenue and onto Main Hall Green, followed by the parade of graduates. The Lawrence University Graduation Band, led by Andy Mast, provided accompaniment as Commencement began. The stage, positioned directly in front of Main Hall, with massive screens on each side, made for a gorgeous setting.

Carter thanked Lawrence’s faculty and staff for making this day possible with “incredible professionalism, hard work, and dedication to students.” And she welcomed parents, families, and friends of the graduates, noting that their sacrifices are a big part of this celebration.

“With great admiration, we celebrate you, and we thank you for everything you have done to support your graduates’ dreams and accomplishments,” Carter said.

Karki, meanwhile, called this an emotional day at the close of an important chapter in the lives of the graduates, one that included many joys and many challenges, not the least of which was navigating a global pandemic.

“I am grateful that of all the places we all could’ve ended up, we all ended up here together,” she said.

Carter, noting the obstacles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic—beginning when most of the graduates were in their first year—called Commencement a beautiful celebration.

“You will grow to greatness,” Carter said. “You are ready. The skills you have acquired at Lawrence will guide your journey.”

John Bergstrom, a Fox Valley business and civic leader, was presented with an honorary doctorate degree, as was Jordan. Faculty retirees were celebrated and the annual faculty awards were presented.

To close the ceremony, Murphy welcomed the graduates into an alumni family that numbers more than 22,000. Those fellow alums will be there to lean on, to be resources, and to be lifelong supporters—comforting words as a new journey begins.

“Congratulations, Class of 2023,” Murphy said. “You did it.”