The Class of 2025 at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine marked a significant milestone on Saturday, May 17, as they received their Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees during a heartfelt diploma ceremony held at the Maltz Performing Arts Center.
Family, friends, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the graduating class, honoring years of dedication, clinical experience and academic achievement.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Gerard Bradley, president of the University of Louisville and a respected leader in the dental education community. Dr. Bradley offered graduates a message of encouragement and purpose, emphasizing the importance of compassion, integrity and adaptability as they begin their professional journeys.
鈥淭his is a very special day,鈥� Dr. Bradley told the graduates. 鈥淭here is simply no other way to describe it. It is one of the most important days on the university鈥檚 annual calendar鈥攁nd it marks for you graduates the culmination of years of hard work, long nights, study, sacrifice, perseverance and commitment.鈥�
The program also included remarks from Dean Kenneth Chance, Michael Gallagher, president of the School of Dental Medicine Alumni Association; Winnie Wong, president of the Greater Cleveland Dental Society; Shannon Holt, senior class president; and Tanner Hauptman, student council president.
Each speaker reflected on the transformative journey the students had taken and the community they had built鈥攂oth within the school and in the greater Cleveland area.
Immediately following the ceremony, attendees were invited to a celebratory reception held in the Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion, where graduates reconnected with classmates, mentors and loved ones over refreshments and photos.
The day was a fitting tribute to a class that demonstrated not only academic excellence, but also the collaborative spirit and determination that define the School of Dental Medicine.