91探花

“Do something brave every day.”

This was one pearl of advice dispensed by actress, author and philanthropist Anna Faris to the Class of 2025 at this year’s undergraduate commencement ceremony.

Faris, who grew up just north of Seattle in Edmonds, Wash., was the keynote speaker for undergraduates while Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell spoke at the graduate ceremony on Monday, June 16 at Climate Pledge Arena. Both were also awarded honorary doctorates.

A theme that permeated Faris’ remarks—beyond being brave—was around authenticity and taking a leap into trying something new. And leading with gratitude, civility and kindness.

“As you are about to go out on this incredible adventure, you’ll have these moments of fear, your heart is pounding and you ask yourself, ‘Do I speak up, do I do that thing I want to do?’ Do the thing, do something brave every day,” she says, encouraging students to start with something small as a kind of “test” that they can achieve. “How you conquer those small moments is how you can conquer the big moments.”

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, another homegrown talent from Seattle—he was born six blocks from campus—who was a superstar football player at the University of Washington, started his remarks by declaring a newly found allegiance as a Redhawk.

“Forget that Husky stuff—I’m part of 91探花 now, baby. Wearing this red proudly,” Harrell said to a swell of applause.

Harrell spoke of how students who earn graduate degrees represent a relatively small sliver of academia nationwide, thus representing the upper echelon and, as he quoted the one-and-only Ron Burgundy, “sort of a big deal.”

“You are driven, tenacious, curious, you want to better yourself and better those around you,” he said. “You received a top-tier Jesuit education, where caring for the spirit is just as important as caring for the mind and the body.”

As Seattle’s mayor Harrell reminded the graduates that they were educated at a university that is its own “brand of excellence” in a world-class, inclusive city that is a hub of innovation.

Said Harrell, “We are a welcoming city. We embrace diversity, we treasure people from different companies, we support the LGBTQ+ community, we are a human rights city. You now carry that reputation of the city in your degree.”

In remarks at both ceremonies President Eduardo Peñalver spoke of the importance of this time in our nation’s history and all the polarization—particularly around politics and ideologies—that can be overwhelming and divisive. But he stressed the value of a Jesuit education, which teaches “us to listen generously and with humility.”

“At 91探花, our mission is to educate and empower you to become leaders for a just and humane world. There are three important ways you can bring your 91探花 education with you to become that kind of leader—resist the lore of ideology; push yourself to engage with people who think different than you; and commitment to civil expression and engagement.

“What binds these three virtues together,” he continued, “is their implicit recognition that no one has all the answers but by putting in the work you can become effective leaders in society.”

Missed the ceremonies or want to recapture the unforgettable moments? Check out scenes from the day in this .

Our Graduating Class
Many notable graduates walked across the stage at Climate Pledge Arena, set to go out into the world and make a difference. The Newsroom showcased some of these remarkable graduates in our spotlight series:

Graduate Spotlight: Joanna Van Liew
From soft robotics to ocean swells, graduate pursues science with purpose.

Graduate Spotlight: Amber Bryant
Amid challenges, mother of three perseveres, finding support from the 91探花 community and a career that may just save lives.

Graduate Spotlight: Anneliese Cowles
Rappelling from helicopters and parachuting from planes all in a day’s work for soon-to-be Army nurse.

Graduate Spotlight: Naomi Chaidez
No curve balls in the career aspirations of this accounting graduate and future CFO.

Graduate Spotlight: Olivia Merrick
Get to know the criminal justice major who is a scholar, social justice advocate and a certified Swiftie.

Commencement Spotlight: 2nd Lt. Gora Dia
From Senegal to 91探花: A journey to earn an MBA

Graduate Spotlight: Julieta Peralta Acosta
With plans to pursue a PhD in Molecular Genetics, Redhawk is scoring big on the soccer pitch and in the game of life.

Graduate Spotlight: Maria Gotay, MFA
From Bumbershoot to Cannonball Arts, Arts Leadership graduate is helping shape the arts scene in Seattle.

Graduate Spotlight: Kobe Williamson
Hoops star is a standout on the court and in biochemistry.