Reflections of Joy and Resolve at Commencement for the LeBow Class of 2025
On a warm morning that felt like the early arrival of summer, nearly 700 LeBow College of Business and School of Economics students received their degrees and marked the conclusion of their studies.
Amid cheers from family and friends, members of the Class of 2025, including 446 undergraduates and over 200 master’s students, processed down the aisles and across the stage of the Mann Center for the Performing Arts during LeBow’s Commencement. Additionally, 25 candidates from the PhD in Business, PhD in Economics and Executive Doctorate of Business Administration programs received their doctoral hoods during the ceremony.
Student speaker Mosab Mohammadi ’24, MBA ’25, captured both the excitement and uncertainty of this transitional moment in his address to graduates. As a BS-MBA graduate who spent his year of graduate studies working full-time, his remarks reflected upon the traditional college experience — late nights, studying for exams, forming bonds and friendships — with an element of real-world relevance.
“From changing majors to career goals, from co-op rejections to full-time employment… somehow, we always figured it out,” he says. “We learned that growth isn’t always comfortable, that success isn’t always linear, and that sometimes the best opportunities come from the things we never planned for.”
Mohammadi emphasized urgency and action in the closing portion of his speech, calling on the current generation to speak up and to lead on vital global issues.
Dean and R. John Chapel Jr. Dean’s Chair Vibhas Madan, PhD, picked up this thread as he addressed the Class of 2025, saying, “Our world needs you. It needs the many contributions that you will make in your professional, civic, and personal lives… Think of your future not just in terms of career decisions, but how it relates to the betterment of society.”
Keynote speaker Mike Pellini, MBA ’92, MD, provided a different but equally important lens on leadership. In his current role as general partner at venture capital firm S32 and as a C-suite leader at multiple firms in the biomedical industry, Pellini has faced countless critical business decisions affecting his companies’ performance and future value, and his address to graduates emphasized the necessity of showing compassion and regard for others while still making tough choices.
“I urge you to think, but never to blink,” he says. “Stay true to yourself, and let what you’ve learned during your time at Drexel serve as your guide as you work with—and build— successful, responsible ventures.”
Before the graduates’ names were called for individual recognition, Dean Madan led them in a new ceremonial element: the LeBow Business Leaders’ Oath, a commitment to acting ethically and responsibly in the workforce.
“Your decisions will impact people both within and outside your future organizations, now and in the years to come,” he says. “By embracing these principles, you will set an example of integrity, earning trust and respect.”
Whatever lies ahead for the LeBow Class of 2025, the joy visible in their on-stage celebrations — the gestures and dance moves, the amazed glances toward their friends and families in the audience — will stay with them in this new phase of their lives.
