Ohio Northern University celebrated the achievements of its Class of 2025 during Commencement weekend, May 17-18.
Nearly 750 graduates were awarded degrees in three ceremonies. The College of Law held its Commencement on Saturday morning, while the College of Pharmacy and the Undergraduate/MSA ceremonies took place on Sunday.
The beautiful spring weather contributed to the jubilant mood as families and friends gathered to watch their graduates cross the stage and accept their diplomas. A rite of passage, commencement marks the culmination of years of hard work and the beginning of a new chapter in life.
Many ONU 2025 graduates already have jobs lined up or have been accepted into graduate school programs. Every year, ONU graduates have exceptionally high placement rates; last year’s 2024 graduates had a 97 percent placement rate within six months of graduation.
The student speakers for the ceremonies were Juliann G. Dodd, JD ’25, College of Law; Haley M. Hunsicker, PharmD ’25, College of Pharmacy; and Christine Lawver Pasiuk, BSBA ’25, College of Business.
During the weekend ceremonies, the University also conferred three honorary doctorates. Each recipient also served as a featured speaker, offering advice and words of encouragement to the graduating class.
Pettit College of Law ceremony
The Honorable Benedikt Bogason, Hon.D. ’25, Supreme Court Justice and President of the Court in Iceland, reminded the new law graduates that their legal education comes with a moral responsibility to safeguard the rule of law.
“Without the rule of law, we are left with arbitrariness. Laws lose their meaning, and the education you have worked so hard for loses its purpose,” he said. “The essence of the rule of law is that no one is above it, and that the law must be accessible, transparent, and applied equally to all.”
He also encouraged students to follow their passions in their law career, to continue to learn throughout their lives, and to enjoy each moment and seek happiness.
“We never know exactly where life will take us, so it is best to live fully in the present and savor the journey.”
Raabe College of Pharmacy ceremony
Dr. Ada Stewart, BSPh ’85, Hon.D. ’25, a family physician in South Carolina and the first African American female to serve as the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, shared her personal journey of faith and perseverance with those gathered.
She reminded students of the importance of self-care and of being a leader. She emphasized that pharmacists are, above all, called to serve and care for others.
“For at the end of the day, your career will not be measured by the number of prescriptions you fill, the orders you complete, or the credentials behind your name,” she said. “It will not be defined by wealth, status, or recognition. Instead, it will be shaped by the lives you touch, the individuals you inspire, the families you educate, and the communities you serve and uplift.”
Undergraduate & MSA (Master of Science in Accounting) ceremony
Brenda Reichelderfer, BSEE ’80, Hon.D. ’25, a global leader in business and engineering, spoke about the importance of resilience, as personified by the spirit of the polar bear in the wild.
She recounted that the lessons in resiliency she learned while an ONU student benefited her throughout her life and enabled to become president of a $1 billion company with 7,000 employees.
“As you leave Ohio Northern University, you too can carry the lessons you’ve learned here into every corner of your life. The ONU Polar Bear spirit—the strength to persevere, the courage to adapt, and the resilience to thrive in even the most challenging circumstances.”