NEWS
Class of 2023 Brings Hope to a World That Needs Them
Sunday was officially Davidson College Class of 2023 day in Davidson.
Author: Mary Elizabeth DeAngelis
Their first year upended by a global pandemic, they finished their college days in the normalcy of tradition.
On Sunday, Davidson College bid farewell to the Class of 2023, who have weathered pandemic restrictions, economic uncertainty and the rise of TikTok. They also made lifetime friends and countless memories.
Physics Professor Dan Boye led the procession, carrying the Davidson College mace.
The warm and dry spring morning allowed the 502 graduates, their loved ones, professors and college community to gather on the front lawn of Chambers to celebrate the successful conclusion to their time at Davidson.
Onlookers could barely contain their excitement as the graduates processed down the steps of Chambers toward the stage—on multiple occasions, proud parents jumped into the procession for one last pre-ceremony hug or a quick selfie.
It was the college’s 186th commencement, and the town of Davidson, recognizing how the graduates overcame tumultuous pandemic times and went on to thrive, issued a proclamation declaring May 14 as Class of 2023 Day.
“You are the only class that had a so-called normal start of college before COVID, suffered the debilitating conditions of the pandemic and then emerged to create and recreate community among yourselves and everyone gathered here,” Davidson College President Doug Hicks ’90 told graduates.
Making a Better Davidson—and World
Powerful words on this graduate’s mortarboard – better indeed.
The graduates represent 20 countries, 39 American states and Washington, D.C. They’re off to serve the world in a variety of fields. Their most popular majors were biology (80), political science (68), economics (67), computer science (53) and psychology (53).
Fourteen graduated with the highest Latin honors of summa cum laude; 201 magna cum laude, and 132 cum laude.
The class includes eight John M. Belk Scholars, bringing the Belk alumni total to 156. The Belk Scholarship recognizes students for leadership, creativity, compassion, integrity, intellectual curiosity and outstanding academic achievement. The award, which covers tuition, fees, room, board and two $3,000 stipends for special study abroad, is one of the country’s most competitive and generous undergraduate scholarships.
Hicks took a moment to remember two Class of 2023 classmates who died in the past two years.
Commencement 2023 was Davidson President Doug Hicks’ first as Davidson’s 19th president.
“On this day of rejoicing, we are also mindful of two members of this class who are no longer with us—Del Barnhill and Collin McGuirt,” Hicks said. “We hold the families of Del and Collin close to us today.”
Collectively, the Class of 2023 worked to help refugees, low-income students and local families in need. They’ve broken athletic records and researched pressing problems ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to educational inequities to the pandemic’s effect on mental health.
They enter the wider world seeking solutions to climate change, cures for illness and increased opportunities for the less fortunate. Some will head straight to the work force; others will start graduate programs and begin fellowships in the United States and around the world.
This is a milestone moment when it’s very fitting to talk about hope. Not because the world that earlier generations are leaving you is in great shape; on the contrary, there are plenty of public problems that easily lead to despair. But hope is a better way; let us understand hope as seeing the world exactly as it is, and yet envisioning—and working for—a better reality.
President Doug Hicks ’90
Professor Sharon Green
Hicks said their resilience, quest for fairness and justice—and sense of humor—has made Davidson better.
“Just as Davidson will always be part of you, you will always be a part of Davidson,” Hicks said. “Instead of saying congratulations, I prefer to say thank you for the hope that you instill in all of us.”
Additional Commencement Celebrations
In addition to Sunday’s ceremony, members of the Class of 2023 came together for celebrations throughout the months of April and May, ranging from affinity graduations to academic open houses and recitals. At each of the affinity graduation celebrations, seniors were presented with custom stoles or cords specific to their identity group.
Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award
Students nominate professors for the annual award. The professors will each receive $7,500, and each gets to direct an additional $7,500 to fund a campus project of their choice. This year’s recipients are:
Professor Burkhard Henke
Sharon Green, Professor of Theatre
“For your unwavering faith in the abilities of each student, your compassion for your students, your passion for the arts, and the sense of social justice you nurture in your students.”
Burkhard Henke, Chair and Professor of German Studies
“For your encouragement of students and kindness to them, your dedication to their seeing the world through a lens of cultural immersion, and your commitment to their wellbeing.”