In commencement address, Richmond Mayor encourages Honors spring grads to ‘live with conviction’
By William Lineberry
VCU Honors College
Richmond Mayor Dr. Danny Avula challenged the Virginia Commonwealth University Honors College Honors Class of 2025 to ensure that as they pursue their careers to never lose sight of their humanity and the need for connection.
“Your chosen occupation is not the end of itself,” Avula, who served as the Honors College spring commencement speaker, said. “It’s how we choose to conduct ourselves outside of what we do…Build real connections with real people. Build community. Live with conviction.”
The Honors College bestowed honors to 183 graduates at its Spring 2025 commencement ceremony last Thursday, May 8 at the Siegel Center on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus
Honors students represented every college on VCU’s academic campus: the College of Engineering, the College of Humanities and Sciences, the College of Health Professions, the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, the School of the Arts (including six graduates from the VCU Qatar campus) , the School of Business, the School of Nursing, the School of Social Work, University College and the VCU Life Sciences.
“While all of this is admirable, I will argue that your chosen occupation is not the end in itself,” Mayor Avula said. “It’s the way that we choose to live out that calling, how we conduct ourselves in the context of the profession, but also how we conduct ourselves in a broader scope-- how we live the rest of our lives.”
While all of this is admirable, I will argue that your chosen occupation is not the end in itself. It’s the way that we choose to live out that calling, how we conduct ourselves in the context of the profession, but also how we conduct ourselves in a broader scope-- how we live the rest of our lives.
Honors graduate, Arya Nair served as the student commencement speaker. In her address, Nair credited Honors in helping provide her the tools and opportunities to show up with “intention and compassion.”