Amid surging artificial intelligence and an unpredictable job market, University of Wisconsin-Madison 2025 Winter Commencement speakers emphasized the importance of learning to pivot and persevere through challenging times.
On one of the coldest days of the year, 2,151 graduates packed into the Kohl Center Sunday to walk the stage and celebrate their UW-Madison graduation. The ceremony featured speeches from UW Regent and former American Family Insurance CEO Jack Salzwedel, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, keynote speaker Grace Vanderhei and student speaker Jeeva Premkumar.
“The job market today isn't what it was coming out of the pandemic,” Salzwedel said. “I can tell you firsthand that your ability to pivot to lean into what you've learned, both inside and outside the classroom, is what will set you apart.”
While each speaker told distinct stories reflecting on their time as college students, all of the speeches expressed shared sentiments about embracing challenges ahead.
“You are entering into a world defined by uncertainty and change,” Mnookin said. “To be able to meet these kinds of challenges with confidence and curiosity rather than fear and self-doubt is an absolutely critical life skill.”
Vanderhei, winner of Miss America 2023 and UW-Madison Nuclear Engineering alum, said learning to keep new opportunities open and “find comfort in discomfort” helped her navigate a life of uncertainty post-graduation.
She spoke about her hesitancy competing for Miss America because she feared it could limit her potential opportunities in the professional world.
“Who is going to hire a nuclear engineer known for wearing a crown and a sash?” she asked. “Will something about this title mean that I end up with even less credibility?”
But instead of focusing on how the science world would perceive her pageant star background, Vanderhei considered the alternative: how earning the crown and sash would give her a unique platform to discuss important topics in nuclear innovation.
“I stopped caring what others think of me,” she said. “And all of a sudden, the discomfort I found in a changing environment became the comfort I found in the woman I am today.”
Premkumar, a UW-Madison Chemical Engineering student, followed Vanderhei’s speech, delivering humor-filled remarks on the challenges of moving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Kenya, then India and finally Wisconsin.
“I worried about my accent, my background and whether I fit in a place where people constantly debate the correct way to pronounce the word ‘bag’,” Premkumar said, drawing laughs from the crowd.
He continued, saying his worries quickly eased when he started finding community in Madison. Premkumar discussed his fondest memories, like the time his friends convinced him to jump in a freezing Lake Mendota during a cold Wisconsin winter.
“The second I came up from that water shivering and laughing with everyone around, I realized something — that’s college,” Premkumar said.
Other speakers included Chief Alumni Engagement Officer and Executive Director Sarah Schutt, and Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs John Zumbrennen.
The ceremony also featured a national anthem performance from Music Education graduate Elizabeth Anne Cantwell and concluded with the University Commencement band’s performance of ‘Varsity.’
Iain Chang is a senior staff writer at The Daily Cardinal covering state news and politics.
Ted Hyngstrom is the Podcast Editor for The Daily Cardinal. Alongside directing all audio storytelling, Ted hosts the Cardinal Call, a weekly campus news feature segment airing on local radio station WORT 89.9 FM. He also covers current events for the campus news desk.
