In the days leading up to Commencement, new graduates participated in special celebrations honoring First Generation and Veteran Graduates.
Students also received their cords during the University Honors and Department Distinctions ceremonies.
On the afternoon of Commencement the graduates gathered to line up for their final walk together as UNC Asheville students and pat Rocky the Bulldog one last time for good luck.
As is tradition, a Highland bagpiper started off the ceremony, with excitement from the graduates and all their supporters—from family and friends, to faculty and staff.
Isaac Hadden ’25 got the ceremony off to a rousing start with "The Star-Spangled Banner" on electric guitar.
Chancellor Kimberly van Noort presided over the ceremony, and she spoke of the circumstances unique to the Fall 2024 semester.
“This has been a long road and their time as students included unprecedented challenges, especially in their final semester. We had to recover and find new ways of living and learning even while we did not have access to essential resources,” van Noort said.
“Through it all, we came together as a community. The students will take this experience and all they have learned and turn it into good work, impactful work, the kind of work that makes the world a better place.”
Alondra Barrera-Hernandez, a music major with a concentration in classical vocal performance, and the student body vice-president, was this year’s student speaker. In her remarks she drew connections between the challenges faced during college and the challenges brought about by Helene.
“College itself can feel like a big storm at times, long nights, endless deadlines, and moments of self-doubt that threaten to be overwhelming,” Barrera-Hernandez said.
“You’ve shown that no storm, not Helene, not the challenges of college, not even the uncertainties of the future, can define you. What defines you is your ability to rise, to rebuild, and to move forward with courage and hope.”
Students also heard from Oscar Wong, recipient of an honorary degree and founder of Highland Brewing Company, Asheville’s first craft brewery since prohibition.
Since opening in 1994, Highland Brewing has become the largest family-owned brewery that originated in the Southeast, earning him the title “Godfather of Asheville craft beer.” He spoke about the lessons he has learned throughout his extensive career.
“Listen and develop relationships — the currency of life,” Wong said.
“My own life lessons boil down to accepting people as they are, have high quality in what you do, and be open to learning throughout your life.”
Following their inspirational remarks, it was time for the students to walk across the stage, receive their diplomas, and officially become UNC Asheville graduates.
Chancellor van Noort ended the ceremony with her charge to the graduates, saying “take the lessons you have learned, take your resilience, and take on life the way you’ve learned how – deliberately, with care, and with forward momentum.”
Relive the full ceremony (or skip ahead to relive your favorite new alumni receiving their degree!) via the live-stream recording:
© 2026 UNC Asheville
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