HIGH POINT, N.C., May 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Point University honored graduate students who crossed the stage during its Commencement Ceremony for doctoral and master’s students on May 1 in the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center. This milestone reflects the tremendous growth in graduate degree programs that HPU has achieved in recent years in a variety of fields, including health-related fields, as well as communication and business leadership.

About 340 graduate students were recognized at the Graduate Commencement Ceremony, which included doctoral degrees in education, medical sciences and pharmacy. Separate ceremonies are held throughout the year for other programs such as physical therapy and physician assistant studies.

HPU President Nido Qubein welcomed graduates and their thousands of friends and family members to the arena on May 1. He also introduced Raj Subramaniam, president and CEO of the FedEx Corporation who delivered the Commencement address to graduate students.

“You came here, and we took you with love and encouraged you to live a life of success and significance,” Qubein said. “Today we’re sending you off with a message from a CEO who personifies those ideals.”

The university will hold two Commencement Ceremonies for undergraduate students on Saturday, May 3, the first one starting at 9 a.m. followed by a second ceremony at 2:30 p.m. HPU is expected to confer nearly 1,700 undergraduate and graduate degrees during the 2024-2025 academic year.

This weekend’s ceremonies are another milestone for a banner year for HPU. In addition to celebrating its Centennial Anniversary in the 2024-2025 academic year, HPU also welcomed its largest total enrollment of 6,335 students when the year began. The university also welcomed its first cohorts of graduate students to the Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law and the Workman School of Dental Medicine last fall.

FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam Addresses Graduates

Subramaniam was named FedEx’s CEO in June 2022, becoming only the second CEO in the company’s 53-year history after previously serving as its president and chief operating officer. He moved up the ranks after starting at FedEx as an associate marketing analyst in 1991, and he has held various roles during his more than 30 years with the transportation giant.

He urged graduates to be “disruptors,” whom he described as ordinary people who challenge conventional wisdom. He advised them to stay curious, to connect with people who inspire them and to form collaborations that push their limits.

“We require brave souls who rush toward problems while others run away,” Subramaniam said. “Class of 2025, make no mistake, that is you. You’re educators, pharmacists, health care experts, business leaders, scientists and administrators, and now I urge you to be disruptors. As HPU alumni, you will remain forever connected in spirit and united in purpose to disrupt and change this world. Every great age is defined by innovation and daring and by the ability to confront unprecedented challenges in disruption, and this is your moment. Make it meaningful.

“I hope you turn this time of uncertainty into an opportunity for global change and purpose. I hope you recognize your ability to uplift minds, transform lives and inspire hearts. I hope you grow to understand that legacy is not what you achieve but what you help others achieve. I know you will become disruptors who cherish every moment. Because of you I have faith in the future. Thank you, High Point University Class of 2025, for giving us all hope. Now go ahead and disrupt the world.”

Families and friends cheered as doctoral students were hooded and master’s students heard their names called as they received their diplomas.

Qubein also presented an honorary degree of Doctor of Professional Leadership to Terrence J. Giroux, who served as executive director of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans for 36 years, from 1988 to 2024. The nonprofit association is committed to honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals who have succeeded despite significant adversity, and to providing financial support for young people to pursue their dreams through higher education. Qubein was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association for Distinguished Americans, along with Oprah Winfrey and Colin Powell. 

As is tradition at HPU’s graduation, a bald eagle named Clark soared over the graduates at the end of the ceremony to symbolize the ideals of free enterprise, independence and the ability to pursue new opportunities in America.

The eagle flew as Grammy Award-winning singer Lee Greenwood, who serves as HPU’s Artist in Residence, performed his hit song, “God Bless the USA.” At the start of the ceremony, Greenwood sang the national anthem while the HPU Air Force ROTC presented colors on stage.  

Every graduate also received a blanket after the ceremony to give to someone special in their lives who cared enough about them to sacrifice in support of that graduate’s higher education.

Attachments

• HPU Commencement 1
• HPU Commencement 2

Alex Abrams
High Point University
3369517926
aabrams1@highpoint.edu