D’Youville Graduates Over 200 in Fall 2025 Commencement Ceremony

On December 2, D’Youville University hosted its Fall Commencement ceremony in the Saints Center on campus, an evening filled with emotion, pride, and celebration. A total of 210 graduates walked across the stage, marking the culmination of years of dedication, sacrifice, and growth. The ceremony featured a keynote address from Stitch Buffalo founder Dawne Hoeg, whose life’s work is rooted deeply in empowerment, creativity, and community.

In recognition of her ongoing impact in the West Side community, President Lorrie Clemo presented Hoeg with the Presidential Medal of Excellence, one of D’Youville’s highest honors.

A Message of Compassion, Curiosity & Community

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Hoeg, whose nonprofit Stitch Buffalo has provided training, employment, and creative space for refugee women for more than a decade, shared reflections drawn from her own journey one built on saying yes even when fear is loud. 

“Something you should know about me: I get nervous about everything and I still say yes.”

Her message encouraged graduates to lead with empathy, ask questions, value every person they encounter, and remain open to change.

She reminded the Class of 2025 that progress often begins quietly with a single act of connection, a conversation, a moment of courage. She described the women she works with every day, who rebuild their lives one stitch at a time, as living examples of resilience and renewal.

One of her guiding lessons resonated deeply across the room:

“Small acts of kindness, simple gestures of solidarity, these are not peripheral to your work. They are the work.”

Hoeg closed with a blessing for the graduates: that they lead with heart, stay curious, care for themselves, and build communities that help others rise.

“We need you. The world needs you. And you are ready.”

A Student Story of Perseverance & Purpose

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Following Hoeg, Nangie Alexander, who earned her Bachelors of Arts Degree in Psychology, delivered the student address: a reflection of faith, resilience, and the power of believing in one’s own path. Alexander shared her experiences as a mother of three returning to college, balancing coursework, internships, and motherhood, often in the quiet hours when the world was asleep.

“Balancing coursework with motherhood, internships, work, and life was not easy. But every time I logged into class, I felt seen, validated, and encouraged.”

She thanked her family, her faith community, and her professors for helping her reach the milestone she once questioned was even possible. Speaking directly to her peers, she celebrated the shared grit and determination that led them to this moment:

“We didn’t arrive here easily. Many of us balanced jobs, families, and personal uncertainty. But we made it.”

Her message called graduates to carry courage into their careers, to challenge injustice, lead with empathy, and honor the stories of those they serve.

President Clemo: Graduates Leave Not Only Educated—But Connected

President Clemo closed the ceremony with a charge to the graduates, a reminder that their education is more than academic knowledge. It is relational. It is communal. It is a way of showing up for the world.

She reflected on how students built community across their years at D’Youville: in study rooms, in labs and clinicals, and in the moments they shared burdens, aspirations, and joy.

At D’Youville, she said, community is not something one joins, it is something one builds.

“When you enter your new workplace, build a community.

When you move into a new neighborhood, build a community.

When you disagree with someone, especially then, build a community.”

She encouraged graduates to look forward with optimism, creativity, and grit, to see a rapidly changing world not as chaos, but as opportunity.

President Clemo concluded with pride and hope for what comes next:

“Graduates, your time here has prepared you well. Build communities that allow others to rise. The world is waiting for you. God Speed.”

A Night That Marks a Beginning

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In one of the evening’s most anticipated moments, and now a growing D’Youville tradition, the university held its “dog ate my debt” student loan payoff lottery. As President Clemo reminded the audience, mascots Saint and Maggie have spent the last five years raising more than $25,000 for local charities at the annual Drool Cup, and in the same generous spirit, one graduate at each ceremony now has their student debt wiped away.

The room held its breath as ping pong balls rolled and one name was drawn followed by cheers, tears, and an eruption of celebration that echoed through the Saints Center.

And in that moment, perhaps more than any other, one thing was unmistakably clear, the Class of 2025 leaves not only with degrees, but as leaders shaped by compassion, strengthened by community, and ready to rise.