Commissioned to lead: Bethel’s class of 2025 moves forward with purpose, faith, and resilience

Bethel University celebrated spring commencement on May 24 with a powerful sense of purpose. From four different ceremonies, graduates from across programs—traditional undergraduates, adult learners, graduate students, and ministry leaders—crossed the stage ready to live out their calling. It was a day to recognize how far they’ve come, and how much they’ve grown—through academic challenges, personal milestones, and a Christ-centered community that shaped who they are becoming. 

During the morning ceremony, President Ross Allen welcomed attendees with gratitude and admiration for the graduating class. “Today is about you,” he said to the students, “but you didn’t get here on your own.” He honored the parents, families, faculty, and mentors who provided unwavering encouragement, support, and faithful prayer along the way. “Your belief in your student’s potential, your shoulder to cry on, and perhaps a few of your own tears made this day possible,” he said.

Allen took a moment to celebrate first-generation graduates, calling it a “significant milestone” with the power to “transform your entire family’s legacy.”  

Throughout his address, Allen emphasized that Bethel is more than just a launching pad for careers—it’s a place where students experience deep transformation. He praised the graduates for their excellence—and the glimpse of heaven they offered through their lives and community.

Many students, Allen noted, had overcome significant obstacles: personal loss, family responsibilities, health challenges, and moments of doubt. But through it all, “God’s faithfulness has sustained you,” he said. “The one who brought you to this moment will also go with you from here.”

College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)

Graduates shared stories of challenge, discovery, and calling. Nursing graduate Maya Eidenschink ’25 reflected on how quickly her time at Bethel went: “I wish more than anything that my time had not gone by as fast as it has—because four years ended up feeling like a 1-hour, 44-minute movie.”

Her reflection set the tone for the day: a recognition of how formative these years have been. From late-night conversations about faith and calling to the challenges of academic growth and balancing personal life commitments, graduates across Bethel’s programs shared stories shaped by dedication and commitment. 

“At Bethel, my faith has been challenged like never before,” Eidenschink said. “The courses we take require us to dig deep and look for what we believe is true. They say at Bethel, you belong and become, and this couldn't be more true. The community I have been immersed in here is unlike any I have ever been a part of.”

Her message culminated in a challenge to keep growing. “Just like an old oak tree, continue to grow and create new rings of knowledge,” she said. “Growth never has to stop, and the firm foundation Bethel has given us allows us to go freely and continue to seek truth and light.”  

Math education graduate Caden DeWall ’25 offered an honest take on post-grad uncertainty. He likened college to a life with “guardrails”—support systems that suddenly disappear after graduation. “We can’t retake jobs like we could classes,” he said, “and there will most definitely come a point where we will be given more than we can handle.”

Yet in that realization, DeWall highlighted the strength Bethel instilled in him. “Bethel has grown my affection for Jesus, and I am a stronger Christ-follower because of my time here.” His reflection was both personal and universal, pointing to the character formation each graduate experienced. “Over these four years, I have been consistently poured into by individuals who care deeply about me and who I am becoming... because of this, I will leave this place as a character-builder.” 

Mild Du ’25, a business, political science and media production graduate and student body president, emphasized that Bethel was more than a school—it was a network of people who shaped them. “Bethel isn’t just a school, it is a collection of people that believe in us, laugh with us, challenge us, and carry us through,” she said.

Du described how faith was seamlessly woven into daily life. “At Bethel, faith isn’t just a class we take or a Chapel we attend,” she said. “It’s been the quiet thread woven through everything: the friendships, the failures, the spontaneous nights, people who have prayed with us when life felt like too much… we’ve been shaped not only by knowledge, but by love, God’s love, and by a deeper understanding of who He’s calling us to become.”

Her reflection ended with a message for anyone feeling the complex emotions of graduation day: “If you’re feeling that weird mix of joy and sadness today, you’re not alone. It just means that what we had here was real, and it means we’re ready to go and create that same space for others wherever we go.”

College of Adult & Professional Studies (CAPS)

Psychology graduate Susan Shannon CAPS ’25 addressed the audience of adult learners and their families with reflections on reclaiming time for growth. “I’m guessing you’ve heard the question: ‘How do you do it all?’” she said. “Every decision I made was a leap of faith guided by purpose, not perfect conditions. We all made bold, intentional sacrifices to be here.”Her message related to working parents and mid-career professionals. “When education is guided by purpose, it doesn’t just fit into life—it reshapes it.” She illustrated how nonlinear and creative learning became for many in her cohort: “You listen to lectures on your lunch break. You outline the first draft of your paper from the bleachers at your kid’s sports practice. You have a deep conversation at midnight with a loved one that turns into the perfect foundation for your ethics paper due the next day.” She concluded: “It’s not magic—it’s purpose. And this purpose helps us bend time in extraordinary ways.”

Graduate School (GS)

Nathan Ziegler GS’25, who earned an Ed.D. in Leadership in K–12 Administration, reflected on encountering multiple trials in a single year and the theological lessons those experiences produced. “Any one of these things would have been significant. Taken together, it was a season of profound challenge,” he said.

Turning to Scripture, Ziegler quoted James: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” He emphasized that leadership often grows through hardship. “God is good. His plans are good. And I can trust Him—even when this isn’t how I would have written the script,” he said. He encouraged graduates, telling them that God’s preparation often comes in ways we don’t expect—but always with purpose.

Seminary (SEM)

Lisa Welter S’25, who earned a D.Min in Transformational Leadership, called her fellow graduates to be restorative leaders—people who reflect Christ not just in ministry, but in every relationship. “As Bethel graduates, we’re called to lead as restorative leaders who reflect Christ in every setting,” she said. “Share your positional power with those around you, invite them close, listen to perspectives, and seek to understand and respect diverse viewpoints, even when you disagree, so you can reflect God’s image just as He has provided examples.”

Tate Harrison S’25, who earned an M.A. in Children’s, Youth, and Family Ministry, shared a communal message of gratitude and calling: “The accomplishment we celebrate today belongs to no one individual.There is a celebration that is due to each member in this room and far beyond.”

He named the parents, spouses, families, and churches who had walked alongside the graduates. “Why? Because we are each a valuable part of the family of God,” he said. “These family members around us today have supported us through this journey. Our children and spouses have sacrificed many moments together with us all because they believed in us and the greatness to which we have each been called.”

A community commissioned

The day’s ceremonies were not just academic milestones—they were commissionings. From classrooms and clinics to churches and companies, Bethel graduates stepped forward ready to lead with Christ-centered integrity and faith wherever God is calling them.

As Harrison prayed: “May we, hand in hand, strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus in all we say and do. May we strive to be His kindness and compassion to all. May we, united as one, bring the light of Christ to a difficult and complex world.”

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Bethel has been a leader and model in Christian higher education since 1871. For generations, our fusion of faith with top-ranked academics has transformed women and men, equipping them to become who they're meant to be. Bethel offers programs for traditional undergraduate students in over 100 areas of study, flexible programs for adult undergraduate degree completion, plus graduate and seminary programs offered online and face-to-face.