“You are graduating at a moment when it is vital to take a stand,” said Commencement Speaker Mike Shum '07, addressing the Class of 2025, the historic 150th class at Colorado College, and the largest graduating class in college history with 537 strong. The award-winning, independent filmmaker and journalist shared a message to embrace the unknown, face fears, and to keep eyes wide open.
“I found my purpose in journalism,” Shum said. “Reporting, fact-gathering, fact-checking, and the overall process of journalism became integral to my filmmaking process. Capturing history became a responsibility. I found purpose in holding power accountable, in showing diverse perspectives across a political, racial, and socioeconomic divide, and in shedding light on stories that would otherwise remain lost or hidden.”
Shum expressed his excitement about how 15 of the graduates have minors in journalism, something not available to him when he was a student. CC established the Journalism Institute in 2018.
“You are graduating at a moment when journalism is under attack. Higher education is under attack. The U.S. Constitution is under attack,” Shum added. “The truth is, I fear for this current time. A lot of us do. I believe it is important to recognize when we’re feeling vulnerable, uncomfortable, and afraid. I invite you to begin this next step in your journey by cultivating a relationship with fear. It is in this kind of reflective work we learn to overcome difficult moments.”
Interim President Manya Whitaker, in her first address in the president’s role, also encouraged embracing life with tenacity, persistence, and openness.
“Go boldly. Say yes to the detours, the unexpected openings, the doors you didn’t plan to knock on. Because your story with CC doesn’t end here — it launches from here,” Whitaker told the graduates. “Let your life be proof of what a CC education makes possible — not just for you, but for your communities, your causes, and the world. You are now part of this college’s living legacy.”
The graduates will go down in history during CC’s sesquicentennial year-long celebration (2024 – 2025), marking 150 years of making an impact. The largest graduating class at the college will join the roughly 30,000 alumni whose journeys also began on campus and vaulted them all over the world leading change.
Of the Class of 2025, 30 percent took a course abroad, 117 had venture grant research projects, nine were Fulbright semi-finalists, and at least three are Fulbright grantees. Two are Watson Fellowship winners. Ninety percent of the class participated in athletics. There were 10 programs nationally ranked this year, with 12 NCAA post season appearances and 20 conference championship titles.
Shum praised CC for increasing diversity in the 18 years since he graduated. “Among you there are runners, rock climbers, scuba divers, musicians, skiers, and snowboarders,” he said. “You’re diverse. You come from different countries, different parts of this country, multiple gender and sexual orientations, Black, Brown, Asian, biracial—far more diverse than when I was here.”
“You ventured to places like Brazil, China, Mexico, and France,” he continued. “You speak multiple languages. You care about people who are suffering — about famine in the Horn of Africa and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. You engage with the world.”
Shum’s speech garnered applause and cheers as he encouraged the graduates to take a stand, adding that he stands for press freedom, academic freedom, and continuing controversial and challenging discussions across campus during tense times.
“And I stand for you, the graduating class of 2025 — confident in your will and talents to make our country and our world a more peaceful and equitable place,” Shum concluded. “I invite you to stand up for your own voice and freedom of expression. Commit to the facts. Subscribe to the journalism that is vital to our democracy.”
In addition to the 537 graduates receiving their Bachelor of Arts degree, 11 students received their Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree, six faculty members were recognized for their years of service upon retirement—including several who’d been teaching for 38 years. Honorary degrees were bestowed upon Jeff Bieri, former General Manager of KRCC, Ben Sturgulewski ’08, award-winning filmmaker, and Steve Wood ’84, founder of arts nonprofit Concrete Couch.