PHOTOS: VCU commencement celebrates about 4,900 students

May 10, 2025 - 18:25

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PHOTOS: VCU commencement celebrates about 4,900 students

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) celebrated more than 4,900 graduating students during its Saturday commencement ceremony.

VCU held its commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 4,900 spring graduates, including more than 3,100 earning undergraduate degrees. More than 980 graduates earned master’s degrees, about 365 earned first-professional degrees and around 300 completed doctoral degrees.

Everette Taylor, the CEO of Kickstarter since September 2022, was this year's commencement speaker and encouraged students to live out their dreams.

“Not small dreams. Not big dreams. I'm talking about the wildest dreams,” Taylor said. “The ones that people are going to tell you that you are crazy. You might actually be crazy, but I'm talking about the craziest and wildest dreams that you can think of and ones that people will tell you are impossible. The ones that your haters – and I'm going to tell you right now, you are going to have haters – the ones that your haters are going to say that you can't. I want you to live those dreams. I have seen that it is possible.”

“You have truly lived if you touched the life of one person,” he added. “I believe that true legacy is not how much money you have, how many social media followers that you have, how lit you are all on TikTok. The true legacy in life is the impact that you have on others. That is the true legacy.”

Anne Marie Whittemore received the Edward A. Wayne Medal at the ceremony. The award honors people who have made "outstanding contributions or provided exemplary services to VCU," according to the university in a release. She was on the VCU Board of Visitors and the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Advisory Board.

Abigail Akyea received the Board of Visitors Award, which the university states in the release "recognizes the achievements of outstanding undergraduate students who represent the distinctive attributes of a VCU student."

Recipients receive a one-year scholarship -- equal to in-state tuition and fees.

Continue scrolling to view the accomplished graduates celebrated during the university’s commencement ceremony this spring.

VCU graduates and faculty gathered for the university’s spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10. (Photo: William Berksteiner, 8News)