More than 2,100 students marked a significant milestone on Sunday, May 18, as St. John’s University held its 155th Undergraduate Commencement on the Great Lawn of its Queens campus. The celebration welcomed over 10,000 guests, including faculty, family, and friends, and recognized graduates from the Queens and Manhattan campuses as well as online programs.
James McCann, founder and chairman of 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc., served as the distinguished commencement speaker and received an honorary degree. A native of Ozone Park, McCann encouraged graduates to lead with purpose, stating, “What you believe about yourself becomes your reality.”
Additional honorary degrees were awarded to alumni Lewis Rice, Jr. ’74SVC; Kathleen F. Meehan ’75Ed, ’79GEd; Msgr. James J. Kelly, Esq. ’80L; and Sr. Margaret Mary O’Doherty O.P.
University President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., reminded graduates to live out the university’s Vincentian values: “The real test of gratitude is not what you feel today, but what you do for the rest of your lives.”
Student speaker Steiner Williams, a graduate of The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, inspired his peers with a call to action: “We leave not as scholars alone, but as citizens of the world ready to lead with purpose.”
The Class of 2025 included 56% women, 382 study abroad participants, 40 veterans, 16 ROTC graduates, and 74 international students from 41 countries and 19 U.S. states. The oldest graduate was 57, the youngest 19, and 46 students earned a perfect 4.0 GPA.
With this commencement, the Class of 2025 joins a global alumni network of over 200,000 St. John’s graduates.
