On Saturday, May 10, Elizabethtown College honored the Class of 2025 for their resilience, adaptability, and empathy – enduring qualities that have defined their Etown experience and will continue to inspire their journeys ahead.

“Class of 2025 – today is your day,” Elizabethtown College President Betty Rider addressed the Class of 2025 during Saturday’s valedictory. “Enjoy it. Reflect on all you have achieved. And know that the world is waiting – and ready – for your light. May you move forward with resilience in your spirit, adaptability in your mind, and empathy in your heart.”

View a video recap of the Class of 2025 Commencement ceremony.

A total of 609 eligible graduates from six of Etown’s Schools, including the School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS), were recognized in the Dell alongside family and friends. Alumnus S. Dale High ’63, H’93, H’25, P’86, a visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist, served as Commencement speaker.

High is Chair Emeritus for High Industries Inc. and High Real Estate Group LLC, joining the family business following his graduation from Etown in 1963. Under High’s values-based leadership, he strategically grew the High companies to encompass over 12 entities and nearly 2,000 coworkers across six states. 

In 2017, The S. Dale High Leadership Center opened in Greenfield in Lancaster County, and in 2022, High completed his transfer of ownership of High Industries, Inc. and ownership of High Real Estate Group LLC to High Foundation, directing all dividends to community needs.

In his impactful, advice-laden Commencement address, High imparted the wisdom he gained from personal anecdotes across a successful, service-centered life and career in hopes of inspiring continued growth in Etown’s newest alumni. 

“Balance your life with love, family, and your personal work of the soul,” High shared with graduates. “These are the elements that anchor our lives, give us direction, support us in the midst of our most difficult challenges, and will multiply our joys as well.”

High was celebrated with an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree, along with Judy S. Ware ’68, who received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. An engaged volunteer, leader, and philanthropist within the Lancaster County community, Ware is an esteemed alumna and dedicated supporter of the College. 

A 1968 graduate of Etown with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education, Ware was a long-time educator and spent many years as an art teacher at Lancaster Country Day School. She has graciously served 15 years on the Elizabethtown College Board of Trustees. Judy and her husband, Paul, have generously supported the Elizabethtown College Fund, various capital projects, and established the annual Judy S. Ware ’68 and Paul W. Ware Lecture on Peacemaking.

Longtime advocates for the arts, the Wares were fundamental in the construction of the Ware Center along Gallery Row in Lancaster – a space that serves as the region’s premier performing arts center.

Class of 2025 President Emma Grace Sager ’25 shared her transformative campus experience that was shaped by advocacy, service, and relationships. A Social Work major, Sager also challenged graduates to carry Etown’s Educate for Service motto with them as they enter their next chapter and positively contribute to society.

“I’ve learned that when even just one person does one good thing, it can make someone’s day,” Sager shared with classmates. “It can save a life. It can motivate change in others. You have the power to be the change you wish to see in our world.”

Saturday’s ceremony also included remarks delivered by Board of Trustees Chairman Michael S. Spangler ’88, Alumni Council President TaLisa M. Ramos-Watts ’11, and an invocation and benediction offered by Chaplain & Director of Spiritual and Religious Life Rev. Amy Shorner-Johnson. You can view the ceremony in its entirety at etown.edu.

View more photos from the day on Elizabethtown College’s Flickr page.