Utah State University Tooele Celebrates 2025 Graduating Class

Utah State University Tooele celebrated its class of 2025 with commencement exercises taking place on Saturday, April 19 as part of USU’s 138th commencement ceremony. Comprising 82 individuals, the Class of 2025 earned 28 associate, 38 bachelor’s, and 18 master’s degrees and two certificates.

USU Tooele celebrated graduates with a ceremony at Stansbury High School. Jennifer Cowburn, USU Tooele associate vice president, welcomed the graduates and guests.

“We are here for one reason – to celebrate the achievements of you, our students and our leaders of tomorrow, as you close this period of your life and begin your new journey,” Cowburn said to graduates. “I believe that Utah State University’s Tooele campus teaches, equips, and empowers you with the knowledge and skills to make your dreams come true.”

Cowburn then introduced the student speakers, Ryalnd D'Arnall and Nayelli Lomeli. D’Arnall received an associate degree in general studies and will look to obtain his bachelor’s degree at USU in 2026. Lomeli is a first-generation graduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in social work.

In the speech, D’Arnall shared an analogy of how life can be viewed as a line graph, with both an x- and a y-axis. While there will be ups and downs on the y-axis, the line will keep moving forward. Though not a straight line or a perfect ladder, D’Arnall encouraged graduates to keep putting one foot in front of the other, always forward.

“Life moves in waves,” he said. “Some days we float upward, carried by momentum and energy. Other days we sink and everything feels heavy. But through it all, one thing is constant– we keep moving forward. Whether we rise or fall, we are always moving, always forward. No matter how many times you stumble, it will always be one foot in front of the other, always forward.”

Lomeli then began her address by giving a short history of her family. She spoke of her parent’s sacrifices and how both did not have the opportunity to pursue college degrees. She recounted their leaving their hometown with nothing, struggling to establish their life, and becoming first-generation homeowners. She admires their sacrifices for their family and hopes she has made them proud. She closed encouraging graduates to persevere in hard times.

“Life is tough. We all know that because we’ve all experienced hardships,” she said. “But you have to keep fighting for what you believe in. You’re going to want to give up and wish for it to get easier. But the truth is, it won’t get easier. But it gets better.”

Cowburn then introduced the commencement speaker, Paul Hacking, president of Tooele Technical College. Hacking opened his speech by sharing an experience from his youth: a time where he borrowed his parent’s boat for a trip with friends, only to forget to properly secure the boat to the back of the vehicle. As the group went down a steep incline, the boat became dislodged and started racing down the street past the car. He spoke about his lack of attention to detail at that moment.

As we navigate our professional careers– much like I navigated the treacherous, steep road on the way to what I was hoping would be a lovely evening with friends at the lake– it's vital that we keep focus and taking care of the details that are important to master to be successful in one's career choices,” he said.

Hacking encouraged the graduates to spend time on several durable skills, such as communication, passion, adaptability, teamwork, and work ethic.

“It's those durable skills that will help you build relationships, foster collaboration, and navigate change,” he said. “Just as I learned the hard way that overlooking the simple details could lead to spectacular disaster, you too will find that neglecting to develop your durable skills can result in missed opportunities and career setbacks.”

He closed his speech encouraging the graduates to continually improve and strive for excellence in all they do.

USU Interim President Alan L. Smith then provided a short message and conferred upon the students their degrees. Once the graduates received their diplomas, Ryan Dent President-Elect of the USU Alumni Advisory Board, delivered a welcome address.

Located in the valley of the Oquirrh Mountains, Utah State University Tooele offers students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university. With degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees, plus technical education offerings, USU Tooele offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at tooele.usu.edu.