photo by UTC
This week, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will celebrate its 265th commencement with three McKenzie Arena ceremonies recognizing the Class of 2025.
The spring 2025 ceremonies will recognize approximately 1,300 undergraduates and 300 graduate students earning their degrees.
The celebration begins at 2:30 p.m. Friday as the Graduate School ceremony has Dr. Tyler Forrest, president of Tennessee Wesleyan University and a three-time UTC graduate, to deliver the graduation charge.
On Saturday, May 3, undergraduate ceremonies will honor graduates from all four academic colleges, with UTC alumna and Thirty-One Gifts founder Cindy Monroe as the keynote speaker.
• The 9 a.m.
event will celebrate graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
• The 2 p.m. ceremony will recognize graduates from the Gary W. Rollins College of Business and the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies.
Among the graduates being celebrated this week:
• Andrew Farmer’s UTC experience, sparked by a coin toss, led him to discover a passion for communication, marketing and data analytics.
• April Van Brunt’s path from film production to kindergarten teacher shows it’s never too late to find your true calling.
• Bailee Smith, a first-generation college graduate, turned her passion for cognitive science into a successful academic and research career at UTC.
• Chamyra Teasley made her mark at UTC through leadership, service and a drive to inspire change—both on campus and beyond.
• Chello Gardner turned a chance encounter with Scrappy into a transformational journey of leadership, resilience and finding her voice.
• Destiny Pope turned campus involvement and leadership experiences into a career-launching path to human resources.
• Jordan Fall used his platform as Student Government Association president to advocate for students at the highest levels of UTC leadership.
• Landon Boone combined his passion for physics and LEGOs into research opportunities that helped define his undergraduate experience at UTC.
• Marcelle Baez-Carlo made an impact on and off the volleyball court at UTC, combining athletic excellence with a deep commitment to serving the Chattanooga community.
Commencement ceremonies are open to the public and tickets are not required.