‘Poised to Commence’—Whitman’s Class of 2025 Graduates With High Hopes & Spirits

On a radiant Sunday morning beneath clear blue skies, President Sarah Bolton welcomed graduates and guests to Whitman College’s 139th Commencement, held on the south lawn of the Memorial Building—where generations of Whitties have crossed the stage.

It was August of 2021, when many of these graduates first arrived on campus—Whitman’s largest-ever incoming class. 

Nearly four years after beginning their Whitman experience, the Class of 2025 was honored with a joyful celebration. More than 415 graduates received their degrees before a enthusiastic crowd of family and friends, marking a moment of pride, reflection and new aspirations.

“You are now poised to commence in the finest way, with knowledge, courage and wisdom, with deep care for the world and the ability to understand it from a wide range of viewpoints,” Bolton said as she addressed the graduates. “Just as you have built so much that is lasting here, you will make a difference in the world.”

Welcoming Home a Distinguished Speaker

Chuck Sams, a conservationist and public leader who served as Director of the National Park Service (NPS) during the Biden administration, delivered the Commencement Address. 

Sams is a member of CTUIR—the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation—with Walla Walla and Cayuse ancestry. He was the first Native American appointed to lead the more than 400 sites of the NPS, which include national parks, monuments, memorials and other crucial protected areas across the U.S.

During the ceremony, Sams also received an honorary degree from Whitman—Doctor of Humane Letters.

Wisdom Passed Down & Forward

Reflecting on his own journey, Sams shared his unexpected path to becoming the first Native American Director of the NPS. He described his ceremonial swearing-in at the Lincoln Memorial, and the significance of standing on the very spot where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.

Sams emphasized that true education extends beyond formal classrooms, encompassing the wisdom passed down through families and communities.

Sams encouraged graduates to recognize how their academic achievements in diverse fields—ranging from science and art to politics and sociology—interconnect with the broader world, urging them to apply their knowledge in service of a more inclusive and democratic society.

“While academic pursuits have cultivated our intellectual growth, it is the wisdom imparted by our families, mentors and communities that have nurtured our character and values,” Sams said. “We are reminded that true education transcends the boundaries of textbooks and lectures, extending into the profound interactions and experiences that have defined our lives.” 

For José Manuel Silva ’25, graduate and Class Speaker, the influence of family—and hopes for a better future—was also a significant theme.  

“Like so many today, and students graduating across the country, I am—and always will be—a proud child of immigrant parents,” said Silva, who grew up in Walla Walla and received a degree in Sociology with minors in Politics and Psychology. 

“This degree isn’t just mine, it’s my parents’ too. It represents not only an education, but their courage to cross nations with nothing but hope and a dream. I stand on the shoulders of those who left everything behind for a better life.”