For the first time in the last nine years, I participated in Greenville University’s 2025 Commencement Ceremony as a civilian, rather than faculty.

Saturday, May 10th, was a glorious day, and so fun to see former colleagues and students and share their excitement for completing the year, their degrees, and pivot into new beginnings.

My roots are in Greenville, Illinois. All my life I have been part of this small farming and St. Louis labor-feeder community, before crossing the street to become part of the Greenville University Faculty in 2016. Functioning as part of the University was a good run. Annual participation in the commencement activities is part of the job description. It was a good part, but like all the other aspects of moving on, enjoying the 2025 GU Commencement as a civilian community member was also welcomed.

Best part, I got to sit with my incredible spouse, Tracy Hall.  She is a GU alum and the reason I moved back to Greenville in 2016 and took a faculty position at GU.  We sat on the steps of Ladue Hall, with other community leaders.  It was VIP seating of sorts.

• Kenny went and asked the gentlemen tending energetic children at the edge of the gathering to laugh more quietly.  The adult laugher was drifting across the ceremony.
• My number came up to redirect other children joyously threatening the integrity of the young tree planted in memory of GU Chaplin and friend, Lori Gaffner. Each time, the leaders in my seating section quietly cheered.

VIP here, meant quiet and passive crowd control.

Tracy quickly found the commencement livestream on her phone.  From the back of the ceremony, we had a front-row seat of the proceedings.  She is perennially brilliant like that.

After the ceremony, we caught up with former students, faculty, and friends engaged in the day’s events.  It was a different kind of joy, celebrating without any professional responsibility. Only joy.

Afterwards we walked four blocks uptown and had lunch at my young cousin’s new restaurant The Lunch Company on the square.  Rob Clark, of The Tall Family, social media productions, and his family were also dining there.  It is such a privilege that in our sleepy little town, there are many business operations that are leading innovations, as well as legacy institutions providing a cultural foundation of heritage.

It was a good day to celebrate life in our thriving rural community.