The Work Ahead

Confetti and smiles at the December Commencement Celebration. (Photo by Heather Ainsworth)

Confetti and smiles at the December Commencement Celebration. (Photo by Heather Ainsworth)

President La Jerne Terry Cornish congratulates graduates. (Photo by Heather Ainsworth)

December Commencement weekend at Ithaca College didn't stop for the cold-or the snow. Smaller in scale than the spring ceremony, the December gathering brought together undergraduate and graduate members of the Class of 2025 for a more intimate celebration, one that reflected the same work, readiness, and momentum graduates carry forward.

In her address to graduates, President La Jerne Terry Cornish returned to a theme she introduced to the campus community at the start of the academic year-dialogue-a practice she described as essential not only for beginning something new, but also for charting a life of purpose. "Dialogue means asking meaningful questions, listening actively, and engaging respectfully across cultures, disciplines, and perspectives," she said. "At its best, dialogue opens the door to creativity, empathy, and true transformation."

If that message set the tone for the year ahead in August, its return in December carried a different charge: a reminder that stepping into what comes next requires the same courage, curiosity, and openness that shaped students' time at IC. The point was underscored throughout the morning, including in the music that framed the ceremony. As the alma mater, Ithaca Forever , filled the arena, its lyrics-"Clasp a hand in friendship, walk a snowy mile"-felt less like metaphor than description.

"You have overcome challenges that others may never fully understand," Cornish told the graduates. "And still, you excelled. You have not simply endured; you have grown … You shaped your education. You shaped this college."

Cue the confetti. (Photo by Heather Ainsworth)

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Melanie Stein expanded on that call, urging graduates to apply what they have learned beyond classrooms and studios.

During their time at IC, she noted, students encountered ideas and perspectives that challenged long-held assumptions. "You may have been uncomfortable at times," she said, "and I hope that you learned through your experience here with us to engage in genuine dialogue to listen openly to these different perspectives, to strive to understand and engage with them as you chart your own path through life."

At a moment of political polarization and global strain, Stein framed the Class of 2025 as uniquely prepared. Armed with skills honed through collaboration and inquiry, she said, graduates have the capacity "to build bridges across divides and create a thriving and sustainable future."

Even as the Class of 2025 disperse to new cities, careers, and graduate programs, Stein encouraged them to remain connected. She spoke of students who have "fallen in love with this magical place," and of the importance of staying engaged with the community that helped shape them.

A day before December Commencement, the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance celebrated the graduation of the 2025 cohort of Ithaca College's Physician Assistant program. The ceremony marked the completion of an intensive course of study preparing graduate students for a profession grounded in clinical expertise, teamwork, and patient-centered care.

Through the program's Long White Coat Ceremony, graduates formally transitioned from academic training into professional practice, carrying forward a commitment to ethical standards, collaboration, and trust. As they enter health care settings nationwide, they do so equipped to navigate complexity with skill, empathy, and responsibility-not to mention those long white coats.

Faculty commencement speaker Matthew Sullivan, Charles A. Dana Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, approached the theme of dialogue through the lens of learning and growth.

"Humans learn best when they are uncomfortable," Sullivan said, urging graduates to lean into moments that stretch them, while recognizing the crucial difference between discomfort that fosters growth and situations that are unsafe.

He challenged graduates to reject the myth of the lone genius and instead "find a team." Progress, he emphasized, is rarely solitary. Collaboration, mentorship, and partnership are not signs of weakness but sources of strength.

Staff commencement speaker Cliff-Simon Vital, director of the Unity Center and director for the First-Generation, MLK Scholar, and Ithaca Achievement Programs, spoke directly to dialogue as courage in action.

"Dialogue is not about the strongest argument, winning a debate, or being the loudest voice," Vital said. "Its foundation is courage … the courage to listen when it's hard, the grace to speak when it matters, and the humility to grow from both."

He reflected on the thousands of conversations graduates engaged in during their time at IC, some joyful, others uncomfortable, all formative. Those moments, he said, are what prepared them to enter a world that is often loud and fractured.

"This society needs you to push past discomfort," Vital told them, "to embrace active listening … You know how to build a bridge with your voice, and you know how to cross them with your ears."

Student speaker Baneet Pukhrambam '26, senior class president and a cinema production and computer science double major, addresses graduates. (Photo by Heather Ainsworth)

Student speaker Baneet Pukhrambam '26, senior class president and a cinema production and computer science double major from New Delhi, India, offered a personal reflection on discovering the power of dialogue firsthand.

He recalled witnessing his first protest at Ithaca College-students, faculty, and staff gathering at Free Speech Rock to share experiences and listen to one another. It was, he said, the moment he realized that dialogue allows communities to grow, even when conversations are difficult.

"Learning doesn't happen in a vacuum," Pukhrambam said. "It happens in conversation. It is in the difference of perspectives, in the courage to ask questions, in the humility to hear answers we didn't think of."

As graduates step into the unknown, he urged them to keep listening. Without it, even the strongest words, he warned, become noise.

Medallion inscription

"Faith is a place of mystery where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty."

Each graduate had their own family-and-friends cheering section. (Photo by Heather Ainsworth)

President Cornish framed her remarks around a long-standing Ithaca College tradition. Since 1992, the college's centennial year, each graduating student has received a medallion inscribed with a quotation selected by the president-an object meant to be carried forward as a reminder and a source of grounding at moments of transition. Faith, she emphasized, is not passive. It is active, requiring trust, courage, and a willingness to move forward without full clarity.

"[Faith] is choosing, again and again, to trust that you have what you need," she said. "That clarity will come. And that you are capable of navigating whatever lies ahead."

She reminded graduates that their achievements were made possible by a community of care-families, mentors, faculty, and staff-and invited them to carry that sense of responsibility with them as the newest members of IC's alumni community.

"And remember," Cornish concluded, "You always have a home here."

Confetti cannons boomed to mark the close of the celebration, a brief flurry inside set against the snowfall outside. With degrees conferred, graduates stepped forward carrying the responsibility emphasized throughout the morning: to listen closely, to engage thoughtfully, and to contribute through dialogue to a world that depends on those commitments.