Good afternoon, Class of 2025, faculty, family, and friends.

Today, we celebrate not just an achievement but a transition, a moment where we take everything we’ve learned at Puget Sound and step into the world beyond. Over the years, we’ve challenged ourselves, expanded our perspectives, and grown into the people we are today. As we look to new opportunities and uncertainties, I want to remind each of you: we are ready.

Good afternoon. My name is Avi Matan Whinkin. I’m glad to be here today, and I’m glad that you’re here, as well.

During his internship in an acute psychiatric care facility, University of Puget Sound Occupational Therapy student Conner Kankelborg OTD’25 noticed Indigenous patients falling through the cracks of the healthcare system. Oftentimes, they were discharged without being referred to specific tribal health resources. The care they received didn’t always consider traditional knowledge and healing—factors that greatly improve tribal clients’ health outcomes.

University of Puget Sound will honor its graduates on Sunday, May 11, at 2 p.m. as part of its 133rd Commencement. The ceremony at Baker Stadium will celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2025, including both undergraduates and students completing one of Puget Sound’s five graduate programs.

It all started with a work-study job during Iliana Barnes Diaz’s first semester at the University of Puget Sound. She was tasked with raising voter engagement on campus—a daunting challenge for a first-year student who had only just become eligible to vote. Over the course of her four years at Puget Sound, Barnes Diaz has become passionate about civic engagement and showing up at the ballot box to demand change at the local, state, and national level.

Josh Cunningham ’25 sees the world differently. A Lillis Scholar with a double major in biochemistry and studio art, he finds overlap between the realms of science and of art in everything. So, when he decided to pursue a summer research project heading into his senior year at the University of Puget Sound, he knew it needed to involve bringing his two disciplines together.

Kevoni Neely ’25, outgoing president of the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound (ASUPS), is wrapping up her final semester after serving as a key student leader on campus. Neely, who is graduating with a major in African American Studies and a minor in Crime, Law, & Justice Studies, reflects on her time advocating for her fellow students and the university.

For graduating senior Andrew Benoit ’25, the college experience has extended far beyond lectures and late-night study sessions. A sociology and anthropology major with a minor in history—and a member of the Honors Program—Benoit has juggled the demands of university life while also dedicating countless hours to leading The Trail, the University of Puget Sound’s student-run newspaper. He credits a dedicated team of student journalists for consistently delivering the monthly edition, which features university news, events, advice, and even satire.

The traditional college experience is often seen as a four-year journey of self-discovery and academic exploration. But for some, there is an opportunity and a drive to obtain the degree in just three years.

University of Puget Sound’s Iliana Barnes Diaz ’25 has been awarded the Governor’s Student Civic Leadership Award from the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good for her work with voter registration. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, she will be formally recognized at an awards ceremony on March 28, 2025, at Seattle University, where she will receive a $1,000 stipend.