Paul Smith’s College graduated 181 students in 27 Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s programs at its 78th Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
Graduates hailed from 23 states, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Canada, Honduras, and Venezuela. Commencement was set on the Great Lawn of the campus, on the shores of Lower St. Regis Lake and livestreamed to an audience in the Adirondack Room on campus, and to a reported 400+ viewing online from afar.
And in true Paul Smith’s College grit, the program commenced despite the morning rain and fog, and the slight chill in the air–or in the estimation of President Dan Kelting: “A perfect Adirondack spring day.”
“The people you meet here are hard workers, those who give it their all in the classroom and their sport, we learned how to get up and get the job done we learned that we are capably of so much, maybe even more than we originally thought.”
—Class Speakers Alison Russell ’24, a graduate in the Disaster Response & Management program, Old Forge, NY
“At Paul Smith’s, we learn skills that are as real and as rugged as the mountains around us.”
—Emily Pulcini ’25, Ecological Restoration, VP of the Senior Class, Palmyra, NY
“Even long before you knew this day was coming, or even possible, there was someone in your life who was in your corner being your cheerleader, where there was a family member, a teacher, a friend or a coach, someone believed in you. So, while those around you have supported you to get to this moment today, we cannot discount your own personal grit. Each day you have made sacrifices; you have overcome hurdles and refuse to be defeated by the adversities thrown your way. Graduating amid societal challenges is no small feat. Yet here you are, triumphant and resilient.”
—Dan Kelting, President, Paul Smith’s College
“As I was talking to an alum, I asked him what Paul Smith’s meant to him. He was Class of 1986, and he even met his wife here. He was telling me how much this College means to them even after all these years. I asked him to write down his feelings and it only took him a few minutes to get back to me. And this is what he said:
Once a Smitty, always a Smitty.
It becomes a big part of who you are and how you view the world around you. The experience coupled with the relationships formed at Paul Smith’s College tend to draw out our finest qualities and shape our persona through the unique lens of being a Smitty.”
—District 115 New York State Assemblyman D. Billy Jones
Assemblyman Jones was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Letters for his service and commitment to the North Country.
The 2025 Graduates of Paul Smith’s College will now add their numbers to the growing, 15,000-strong, alumni of Paul Smith’s College, who extend their reach around the world and across time. Many Paul Smith’s College alums remain in the area to start businesses and become part of the fabric of the Adirondacks. Alumni Association President Matthew Purcell ’78 encouraged the new alums to stay in contact with the Alumni Association, the faculty, staff, and life-long friends they made at the College.
Photos by Mercedes Rideout
Commencement 2025
Damien L. Thompson, a member of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in Akwesasne, NY, graduated with a BS in Environmental sciences at Paul Smith’s College.
Paul Smith’s College President Dan Kelting at Paul Smith’s College’s 78th Commence Exercises
Emily Pulcini ’25 VP of the Senior Class, addresses Paul Smith’s College’s 78th Commencement.
115th District NYS Assemblyman D. Billy Jones was bestowed an an Honorary Doctorate of Letters at Paul Smith’s College’s 78th Commencement.
In true Smitty style, the only thing to do after graduation is…jump in Lower St. Regis Lake to celebrate!
