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Alvernia to celebrate Class of 2025 with packed weekend event schedule

First Alvernia engineering students earn degrees; Philadelphia Mayor Parker to receive honorary degree

by Sarah Matarella

Reading, PA (05/09/2025) — What: Alvernia University Class of 2025 Celebration Events

Who: Alvernia University

When: Friday, May 9 - Saturday, May 10, 2025

Where: Various Locations (see below)

Details: Alvernia University celebrates the graduating class of 2025 with a weekend of celebrations on May 9-10, 2025. The Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 10, at the Santander Arena with the procession beginning at 6:15 p.m. Unique storylines from this year's graduating class and ceremony information are listed below. Media members are encouraged to attend the events. For more information and to confirm attendance, please contact Sarah Matarella (sarah.matarella@alvernia.edu or 570-436-7403).

Media Opportunities:

  • 12 graduates make up the first graduating class of the John R. Post School of Engineering, including Faith Bentz '25, who is beginning a full-time position with Brentwood Industries, one of the founding members of the Alvernia Engineering Advisory Board.
  • The Honorable Cherelle L. Parker, the 100th mayor of the City of Philadelphia and the first woman elected to the post will receive an honorary degree of humane letters and present the commencement address. Access more information here.
  • Reverend George Osei Ababio '25, Parochial Vicar at Saint Ignatius Loyola Parish in Reading in the Diocese of Allentown, will receive his Master of Business Administration degree and conclude the commencement ceremony with a benediction, blessing the graduates as they go into the world. He is also a recipient of the Graduate and Adult Education Comeback Award.
  • Student speaker Elijah Carr '25 will discuss the widely debated value of higher education as well as the impact that Alvernia had on him and his peers. Learn more about Elijah here.
  • Alvernia University has made a significant investment in commencement presentation technology through a company called Tassel. This has digitized the RSVP and ticketing system for ease of access for students and their families. It will allow for a personalized graphics package to be displayed on the jumbotron for every graduate as they walk across the stage.
  • Alvernia will have a scrolling list of names of every graduate, along with congratulatory messages on the ribbon boards at Santander Arena.

Class of 2025 By the Numbers:

  • 560 total graduates
  • 468 Pennsylvania Residents
  • 253 Berks County Residents
  • 192 students are first-generation college graduates
  • 4,200 miles is the farthest distance traveled for students within the U.S. (Anchorage, Ak.) to attend Alvernia University
  • 19 is the age of the youngest graduate
  • 69 is the age of the oldest graduate

Event Schedule

  • Friday, May 9
    • Occupational Therapy Pinning | 2:00 p.m. | Physical Education Center (PEC)
    • The Alvernia University Occupational Therapy Department celebrates its graduating occupational therapy students with a time-honored pinning ceremony.
    • Senior Athlete Award Reception | 5:00 p.m. | Physical Education Center (PEC)
    • Alvernia graduating student-athletes are recognized for their contributions to the Alvernia community in the classroom and on the playing field.
  • Saturday, May 10
    • Honors Convocation | 10:00 a.m. | Physical Education Center (PEC)
      • Alvernia University will hold its annual Honors Convocation to celebrate Alvernia students' academic achievements and dedication to community service. Ceremony speakers include President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D., and 2024-25 Senior Scholar Kacie Walters.
    • Nursing Pinning Ceremony | 1:30 p.m. | Physical Education Center (PEC)
      • The Alvernia University Nursing Department celebrates its graduating nursing majors with a time-honored pinning ceremony.
    • Delta Mu Delta Honor Society Induction |1:30 p.m. | John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne
    • Baccalaureate Mass | 3:00 p.m. | Sacred Heart Chapel
      • Students, faculty, staff, and administration will gather for the longstanding catholic tradition of Baccalaureate Mass in Sacred Heart Chapel, the home of the university's foundresses, the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters.
    • Commencement Ceremony | 6:30 p.m. | Santander Arena
      • Alvernia will celebrate the Class of 2025 with a commencement ceremony at Santander Arena. More details on the commencement ceremony weekend can be found on the Alvernia Commencement website.
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