Midyear Commencement on Dec. 13 was a joy to help lead. We are so proud of the nearly 600 Titans who earned the opportunity to cross our graduation stage and receive a symbol of their degree. If you missed the full ceremony, or wish to watch it again and find that moment when your friend or loved one shook my hand, you can watch the replay, captured by our own student-led Titan TV:

 

I also had opportunity to share remarks of congratulations and encouragement with our graduating Titans and the thousands of family members, friends and guests who joined us in Kolf Sports Center. You can watch and read my message below…

Congratulations to all of the newly-minted University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh alumni who have lifetimes of success ahead of them!

Commencement Address, 2025: Chancellor Dr. Manohar Singh

 

Dear Students, Families and Friends, Esteemed Colleagues, and Distinguished Guests:

On behalf of University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, I wish you a beautiful morning and a warm welcome to our Fall 2025 Commencement Ceremonies.…a celebration of profound achievement, unwavering perseverance, and the unbounded potential of the human spirit.

As your chancellor, I am incredibly delighted and deeply honored to be part of this celebration.

As your mentors and teachers, our faculty colleagues are equally proud of your achievements.

Let us take this opportunity to recognize their dedication, and commitment to your success.

Serving you beyond the classroom are several devoted and committed staff colleagues at UW-Oshkosh, including our shared governance representatives,  leadership team, management professionals, and the university senate delegates who all work tirelessly to ensure, that we bring you the best education possible in the world. Your parents, siblings, friends, partners, and children—those whose encouragement, support, sacrifices, and faith helped carry your dreams… to them all, we offer our earnest gratitude.

Graduates: Congratulations. Today marks not merely a milestone. It is a sacred threshold. You stand not at the culmination of a passage but at the beginning of a fascinating journey whose progression only you can chart.

It is the dawn of a new chapter for you where your dreams become reality and your ideals turn into action.

You have earned this moment with sheer commitment, untiring hard work, incredible resilience, and an indomitable spirit to conquer the challenges.

Those challenges have made you stronger, ready to fight battles not only for yourself but for all the people who are unable to be where you have arrived today.

What you have truly achieved today is not just a diploma; you have ignited your inner flame, one that will now illuminate paths for others.

This day is a celebration of your becoming not only of what you have mastered but of the self you have grown into: more brave, more courageous, more compassionate, and ready to give abundantly and fearlessly.

In our celebration of your achievements, I want you to remember:

• You are the architect of your Universe – be pure, and be bold – together.
• The world may present itself to you as a fixed reality but never forget. It is clay in your hands.
• You are not simply a product of your circumstances; you are the creator of those.
• When the way ahead seems uncertain, or even impossible, remember this: rivers do not stop at mountains—they cut through them. So, too, will you conquer your battles.
• When driven by purpose and conviction, there are no dead ends..…only new courses waiting to be carved.
• Have a dream rooted in selfless service, anchored in compassion, and above all, hold on to your integrity with unshakable tenacity.
• Every time, choose righteousness over the path of least resistance.
• When the purity of your goal joins the virtue of your actions, fearlessness is natural….

And walk boldly, even at times when you may find yourself alone. You will find that your determination, your character, and your faith in humanity. Will bring together multitudes to join you in your noble pursuits.

The Titan spirit, your spirit, reminds us that the impossible is always within our reach when we stand together.

But success becomes meaningful and laudable only when aimed at serving others. Education is a sacred gift. I ask you to use it to uplift others.

You have been blessed with the extraordinary privilege of education. It is not simply the acquisition of knowledge; it is the awakening of your soul.

You are now empowered—not for yourself alone, but for others. Empowered to heal injustice, to raise the voices of the unheard, and to lend a helping hand to  those who struggle.

When you set out to serve, let love and humility be your true guide.

Love is the essence of our existence. It is what breathes life into our achievements and meaning into our work.

But true love is not merely a feeling. It is a choice, a choice to care to know, to understand, to embrace, and to become one with the world around you, all of it.

Be humble in your successes. Recognize the immensity of the sacrifices, the prayers, and the unseen hands that made your ascent possible. Let your gratitude evolve into generosity. And let your accomplishments become seeds of possibility for others.

Dear graduates, let not your profession or your diploma define you. Let your work do that. Live with zeal. Lead with love. Give without expectation.

And, finally, let your integrity shine brighter than any title or accolade.

The world awaits not just what you will do but who you will choose to be.

As you leave the halls of this admired and deeply-loved institution know that you carry with you not just knowledge but our hopes—for a future that is more just, more beautiful, more humane.

You are our ambassadors of joy and optimism that this world needs. May you be the calm in chaos, the voice of wisdom amid noise, and the hand that lifts others when they fall.

Go forth with courage, with grace, and with compassion.

May you flourish. May you serve. May you lead with integrity and boundless love.

Thank you.