Throughout their time at Gettysburg, these senior student-athletes excelled not only in competition but also in the classroom, through service, global study, and leadership—embodying the full promise of a liberal arts education.
In what has become a near-annual tradition, Gettysburg College honored the outstanding success of its senior student-athletes preparing for NCAA postseason play with a Special Commencement in the College Union Building Ballroom on May 13.
Beginning nearly two decades ago, Gettysburg has held a unique graduation event for student-athletes who would miss the main Commencement due to competition in the NCAA Division III Championships. This year’s Special Commencement marked the 15th in the last 19 years and the first to feature three different athletic programs—women’s lacrosse, men’s lacrosse, and softball—with a total of 25 students, one shy of the previous event record from 2023.
President Bob Iuliano, participating in his fourth consecutive Special Commencement, welcomed the graduates and their families to the momentous occasion. Supporting the graduates inside the Ballroom were nearly 200 family members, friends, and coaches, many of whom will follow the graduates to their playoff destinations in the coming days.
“Our campus community and their families have been with them cheering them on through all the successes on and off the field,” said head softball coach Brooke Kalman ’14. “For the College to recognize them in a special graduation ceremony in front of all their family and friends lets the seniors know they are not alone in their journey to a national championship and gives them added incentive to go compete this week.”
“We never become the person we expected to be. If we’re open to it, we grow into something more.”
– President Bob Luliano
Amongst those many members of the community mentioned by Iuliano was Carol Cantele ’83, P’15, who will serve as the featured speaker at Saturday’s main Commencement Ceremony. Cantele, who was at the student-athlete graduation Tuesday, was head coach for the women’s lacrosse seniors during their first year on campus before retiring that spring, and she has remained a steadfast and ardent supporter of Gettysburg athletics in her retirement.
Despite her many successes as a coach and leader, including multiple national titles and Hall of Fame inductions, Cantele’s career was not without its share of trials and tribulations as a Gettysburg student and later as a collegiate coach, administrator, and leadership mentor. Overcoming those obstacles was made possible in part because she chose to pursue a liberal arts education and engage in a myriad of impactful experiences at Gettysburg College.
“We never become the person we expected to be. If we’re open to it, we grow into something more,” Iuliano said to the graduates. “I have little doubt about how you will respond to that choice, given all you have done here, and I have little doubt in part because you, like Coach Cantele, are armed with the invaluable gift of an education that will prepare you for most everything the world will throw at you.”
Delivering this year’s keynote address was newly appointed Finance Co-Chair and Economics Prof. Brendan Cushing-Daniels. Cushing-Daniels, who taught several of the student-athletes in economics and management courses over the last four years, noted his own inclusion among the many fans who have followed the graduates’ successes on the field of play. He saw firsthand how those successes came to be as the graduaties utilized many of the same skills and values that will play an important role in their future achievements beyond Gettysburg.
“The only advice I’m going to give you today is to bring that same passion and drive that you have exhibited here for four years to everything in your life beyond these walls,” Cushing-Daniels said. “Use the same focus and determination that has you playing deep into the post-season into your relationships and in your professional lives.”
Adorned in graduation regalia, honor cords, and Stoles of Gratitude, the 25 student-athletes stepped upon the stage in front of family, friends, faculty, and coaches and left the Ballroom as the first spring graduates of the Class of 2025. The special event culminated in the traditional recessional through Penn Hall for all Gettysburg graduates, journeying through the hallowed building in the opposite direction they entered as first years during Convocation four years ago.
“We hope you have become more thoughtful, active, listeners, and we hope you have found your voice to share your ideas with the world.”
– Prof. Brendan Cushing-Daniels
Featured among the impressive group of graduates were record-breakers, All-Americans, all-region performers, and Centennial Conference Players of the Year. But this group of student-athletes represents much more than just a page of statistics and a list of battles won. They poured in hours of community service for local and national non-profits, studied abroad in places like Italy and Spain, embarked on transformational internships and fellowships, and gained academic accolades across the 10 different majors they represented.
Gettysburg College has prepared them with the knowledge and enduring skills to continue their journeys into the postseason and beyond.
“The goal of your Gettysburg College education is to prepare you for lives of meaning,” Cushing-Daniels said. “We hope we have helped you see the world from multiple perspectives. We hope you have become more thoughtful, active, listeners, and we hope you have found your voice to share your ideas with the world.”
The student-athletes continue marching into the postseason this weekend. Men’s lacrosse, which won its opening two games of NCAAs, travels to Tufts University to face the Jumbos in the national quarterfinals on Saturday, May 17, at 4:30 p.m.
After taking down Trinity (Conn.) College in its national playoff opener, women’s lacrosse will visit Centennial Conference rival Franklin & Marshall College for the third round of their playoff run, squaring off with Washington and Lee University on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. If both lacrosse teams win, they will advance to the next round of their respective tournaments on Sunday.
For the first time in program history, softball will host the regional round of the NCAA Division III Championship at Bobby Jones Field from May 15-17. The Bullets will be joined by John Jay College, Ramapo College, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the double-elimination event, which kicks off on Thursday at 11 a.m.
Follow all the postseason action on GettysburgSports.com!
By Corey Jewart
Photos by Shannon Palmer
Posted: 05/14/25