Graduates: Welcome to the big leagues

The joy of commencement brought merriment to Minges Coliseum and almost 1,800 students who graduated on Friday.

The fall class totaled 1,796, including 1,356 students who earned undergraduate degrees, 419 master's degrees and 16 doctoral degrees. The graduates come from 87 of North Carolina's 100 counties, 29 U.S. states and 25 countries. The class included 26 Project Kitty Hawk graduates in ECU's Flight Path program.

Chancellor Philip Rogers said the time of togetherness and celebration was especially good for the Pirate soul.

"The path from below-average ECU student to a major league dugout was not straightforward. And along that winding road, I learned lessons that have helped shape me to this day - lessons that I hope help guide you as you begin your own professional journeys," he said.

McCullough, who grew up in Greenville with parents who are ECU alumni, played at J.H. Rose High School and was recruited by several colleges, good enough to be drafted in the 47th round. "Because I was good, I coasted," he said.

But he didn't turn pro out of high school and attended Vanderbilt. And after a year with poor grades and little growth, he came home. "ECU took a chance on me - mostly because the baseball team needed a catcher," he said. "Coach Keith LeClair believed in me when honestly I didn't believe much in myself."

One afternoon LeClair called him into his office and straightforwardly told him he was the most disappointing player he had ever coached. "He told me I was wasting my talent - and that it was painful for him to watch. That message hit hard. It stung. It embarrassed me. But it woke me up," McCullough said. "For the first time in my life, someone saw something more in me than I was choosing to see in myself - and he was right."

If McCullough wanted a different future, he had to earn it. The change didn't come all at once; improvement rarely works that way, he said.

He started in the weight room, watching teammates, adopting routines, asking questions and pushing himself. "I stopped relying on being 'good enough' and started chasing being better," he said. "The key to success is improvement. Always work to get better."

McCullough had a message for the class. "My advice to you is simple - don't stop now. Keep learning. Keep growing."

The future MVPs McCullough has coached - Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani and others - share more than talent, he said. "Getting better every single day matters more than anything … more than the fact that they're already the best in the world," he said.

That belief forms the foundation of Miami Marlins operations. "One of our core philosophies is simple: Development doesn't stop in the major leagues," he said. "Every Marlins player, no matter how experienced or talented, is on an individual path to be their best version."

He encouraged the new graduates to adopt a similar mindset as they leave ECU.

"Today you close one chapter. Tomorrow, a new one begins. You won't have it all figured out - that's OK. I certainly didn't," McCullough said. "But if you commit to growth, find people who can show you the way, and keep showing up and getting better, I promise you this: Your future can exceed even your own expectations. Class of 2025 - welcome to the big leagues."

Also addressing the graduates were Student Government Association President Daniel Walker, Faculty Senate Chair Mark Bowler and Board of Trustees Chair Cassie Burt. They congratulated the graduates on their perseverance and achievements, recognizing family, friends and faculty members for their support.

"Today is proof of what happens when you challenge yourself, when you decide that the hard thing is worth doing - a college degree, proud families and the beginning of something new," Walker said.

Bowler advised students on three main points: "Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Stay in touch with favorite professors. And remember that bringing happiness to others is one of the surest ways to find yourself."

Burt recognized a special group of graduates wearing purple and gold philanthropy cords, which demonstrate their commitment to giving back and making a charitable gift to advance ECU's mission-driven future.

Feeling Good

Makenzie Robinson got through four years of college, but mere minutes away from commencement, she had one final question.

"Do you know which way this tassel goes? It's been four years since I've done this," she said referencing her high school graduation. "Either way, I'm closer to getting my degree."

As she lined up for the processional with friends - and got her answer, right to left - the family and consumer sciences education graduate smiled and laughed with friends, reminiscing about parking tickets of all things.

Robinson, who works with children with autism with Aces for Autism in Greenville, embraced the moment, smiling broadly as she walked in for the ceremony.

"I'm feeling pretty good - excited, nervous - I loved it here," she said.

Mastering the next steps

Engineering graduate Annabel Hayes came to ECU for a very simple but big reason.

"I got a lot of scholarship money," she said.

Coming from Stokesdale, Hayes became a PIRATES engineering scholar, a program led by Dr. Ricky Castles that provides mentoring and peer activities to build camaraderie and set students up for success.

"He did a lot of outside-of-school stuff like engineering challenges, and we became a core group. It was nice," she said.

With a concentration in biomedical engineering, Hayes has a long-term goal to work in prosthetics research. For now, she will be sticking around ECU as an accelerated master's student in biomedical engineering.

"I'm just going to be here more. I like the campus," she said. "The professors, how nice they are - I lived for office hours, and I loved getting that one-on-one interaction with them. It was really great."

Paige Day is also planning to get a master's degree - in atmospheric science. As part of earning her bachelor's in applied atmospheric sciences, Day participated in a research project on summer rainfall at the Coastal Studies Institute in summer 2024 with Dr. Rosana Ferreira and Dr. Tom Rickenbach.

"Those experiences shaped me both academically and as a person," she said. "I'll remember that summer for the rest of my life. It was so fun. I feel like it set me up to succeed in graduate school and beyond."

Jungyeon Park will be staying in Greenville for her master's degree in computer science after earning her bachelor's in computer science. A South Korea native, her mom, dad and brother came from her home country to celebrate while her grandmother and aunt made the trip from Raleigh.

"It means a lot," she said of reaching graduation day. "I used to study German in Korea and during COVID I decided to study English here. I decided to transfer and I loved it. It took a long time, especially since English isn't my first language. I'm so happy to have a degree."

She has a simple but profound bit of advice for other international students who are working toward graduation.

"Make a lot of friends," she said. "Try to be friends with American students, not only international students."

Pitch Perfect

Jordan Hatch graduated with her Master of Business Administration after completing the immersive MBA program over the summer.

But she couldn't participate in May graduation for good reason. The softball student-athlete had a game that day. In her final season on the diamond, Hatch balanced the already difficult demands of being a student-athlete with the extra responsibilities of being a member of the IMBA cohort.

"It was hard, but very rewarding," she said. "You're in an intensive MBA program but at the same time you're also getting to play the sport you love, which is a dream. You have to work for it, but I was able to get what would be six years of education crammed into four and in an accelerated program. I'm very fortunate."

Hatch appeared in 111 games as a pitcher during her four-year ECU career. She is now operations manager for Diamond Direction Events, a Charlotte-based company that runs softball camps and tournaments.

"In my role I'm planning events, contacting people and other tasks," she said. "Softball and a business background helped prepare me for this role. I did my undergrad in management information systems and it's helping me now as I'm working on developing a website. It's all coming full circle."

Cheerful Graduate

Student-athlete Colton Craver of Clemmons earned his bachelor's degree in hospitality and event management. A member of ECU's cheerleading team, Craver had a unique familiarity with the auxiliary gym the graduates were staged in before the commencement ceremony as it was used for cheerleading practice.

"It's a full circle experience. You'd come into practice every day, rolling out the mats and throwing students," he said. "I spent hours on end in this gym, and coming back and looking at it just before I graduate is surreal. You come in as a freshman thinking you have four years, and it just flies by."

Craver, who served as PeeDee the Pirate as a freshman and sophomore before moving over to the cheerleading team, leaves ECU with fond memories.

"Being PeeDee, running around on the field for game day was a fun time. It was a great atmosphere," he said. "My favorite memory was going to Daytona (Beach, Florida) for the national cheerleading competition. We came in second place two years in a row, but it was a lot of fun to get close with the team."

Artful Service

Benjamin Luna of Jacksonville earned his bachelor's degree in art education. Luna said the degree marks the successful completion of a lengthy journey.

"This day silences a lot of voices that told me I could never achieve this level of education from my background as a troubled youth and where I grew up. It was a long day coming."

A veteran who served in the Marine Corps from 1994 to 2012, Luna said the skills he learned while serving his country carried over to his time as a student.

"If you can serve in the military, you can definitely succeed in college," he said. "All of the lessons you learn in the military, the life lessons, the discipline and time management will serve you well in obtaining a degree and further serve you when you go back into civilian employment."

Luna is currently a substitute teacher for Onslow County schools and hopes to get a middle or high school art education position.

Family Support

Kedra Harris of Bolivia and several family members were at the ceremony to support niece K-Niya Harris, who earned a degree in public health after persevering through several challenges as a student.

"We wanted to be here for her and show her she has support," Kedra Harris said. "She carried on. It was hard but she did it. And she's here today."

K-Niya's mother died unexpectedly in October 2024. Her fiancé, U.S. Army member Darrius Marshall, was deployed overseas while K-Niya was in school. He recently returned home and the couple plan to marry in August.

"She should be encouragement to us all after all that," Kedra said. "She was still able to have a wonderful achievement in her life. Others should be encouraged to know that 'I don't have to give up. Keep going.' It's encouraging to me."

Parents Lori and John Gonsiewski of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, celebrated daughter Katie, who earned a marketing degree and played clarinet in the Marching Pirates. Katie will be playing and the whole family is attending the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, Dec. 27.

Being in the marching band has been a wonderful experience, Lori said. "She's loved it here. The very first time she was on campus she found her people and had a group of friends. That has been a huge part of her development as a young adult, trying new things and meeting people."

"It brought us closer to the school too," John said. "The eight-hour drive, we've consistently come to games over four years to be involved in the community. It's been a great experience for our family, not just her."

"We're proud to see her blossom; we use the word adulting," he added. "Being able to be that far away and still figure stuff out, she's had to figure out how to fly home by herself, connecting flights, to figure all that out when a flight's canceled. The travel aspect of it, and the day-to-day world of ECU without her parents here to guide her, it's been great to watch that."

"Today is the reward of all that effort she's put in," Lori said.

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