Mitchell Tolle delivers keynote address
Lee President Paul Conn presents diplomas to graduates
Summer commencement grads stopping for photo op
Family celebrating graduate
Commencement celebration
Commencement group
Lee University awarded 112 degrees during its summer commencement ceremony last weekend. Graduates, faculty, family, and friends filled the university’s Conn Center for the event where artist and pastor Mitchell Tolle addressed attendees.
In introducing Mr. Tolle, Lee President Paul Conn described him as “one of those guys gifted in so many ways…someone who can talk about and act out this dual role of following the lead of God wherever it takes you in life.”
Drawing from his personal experiences, Mr. Tolle, who is considered “one of America’s most beloved artists,” urged the graduates to recognize they are not solely responsible for their achievements. “You are not the makers of yourselves…you are the clay…and your steps are ordered by God. No matter how hard you worked or how smart you are, you did not get here by yourself.”
He spoke of those in his life who helped to shape him and remind him that “dreams ought to be free to live” and quoted C.S. Lewis, saying “…dreams are gifts from God, a way of saying ‘there is more.’”
In his closing remarks, Mr. Tolle reminded the students they were lovingly and carefully fashioned and were now responsible for shaping the future. “This is your time. Be the voice of encouragement, the voice of hope, the voice of possibility.”
Mr. Tolle currently serves as senior pastor of the Man O' War Church in Lexington, Ky., and is an ordained bishop in the Church of God. Before his pastoral work, he gained international recognition for his art, particularly of Appalachian life. He is also known for his painting of President Jimmy Carter, which raised a quarter of a million dollars for Habitat for Humanity through the sale of prints, and a gallery in Berea, Ky., devoted exclusively to his work, has drawn over 20,000 visitors from 80 countries.
Mr. Tolle is married to Linda, and they have three children and 10 grandchildren.
Saturday’s ceremony was preceded by a pinning ceremony for nursing graduates; a hooding ceremony for recipients of master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degrees; and the Commissioning Service on Friday. Commissioning featured five student speakers - Aixa Marcial, Tamara Milanovic, Ben Seay, Abbygail Stroh, Ben Seay, and Hanna Wager - who shared their Lee experience.
To view the events, visit leeu.live.
For more information about commencement exercises, please contact the Academic Events Office at academicevents@leeuniversity.edu, 614-8117, or visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/graduation-info/.