Grads Urged to Pursue a Meaningful Life

Led by bagpipes under overcast skies, about 340 graduates made their Last March from Kerrwood Hall down to Thorrington Field where they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas on May 3.

Retiring professor and Commencement speaker Jim Taylor ’78 emphasized the importance of defining and pursuing a meaningful life. He questioned the traditional measures of success and highlighted the need for a fulfilling life. “What kind of life do you want? Successful? If so, as you climb the ladder of success, make sure it's leaning against the right wall,” he said.

Taylor referenced philosophers like St. Augustine and theologians like St. Thomas Aquinas, noting their differing views on the good life. He suggested that true happiness lies in a deep relationship with God, as outlined in the Bible and exemplified by Jesus. “The best life for humans involves union and communion with God through Jesus, and that union can deepen over time,” he said.

Taylor shared that when he was a Westmont freshman in 1974 he was satisfied with his relationship with God and by his senior year he was skeptical about whether knowing God was even possible. He gradually overcame his doubts and grew in his knowledge of God when he served as a vacation Bible school team leader, interpreter and worship music leader on a spring service trip to Ensenada, Mexico, with Potter’s Clay. “I experienced God at work while serving, fellowshipping and worshiping with my fellow Westmont students,” he said. “I sensed the Lord's presence, guidance and empowerment.”

He encouraged graduates to seek spiritual growth, likening life to a pilgrimage, and emphasized the importance of spiritual fitness, guidance and community in achieving this goal. “Make Jesus your guide,” he said. “Practice what Jesus taught so you can become more like Him and get closer to God. And walk with other pilgrims, including ones you've invited to join the pilgrimage. If you do these things, you will live the best possible life a human being can live.”

John Davies, CEO and chairman of Davies Public Affairs, accepted the Westmont Medal, reflecting on his long association with the college and its impact on his career and personal life. “Westmont’s leadership and staff have always modeled the best,” he said. “Those I worked with here modeled Christian leadership, no matter what. In a crowd or in a quiet, closed door room, they were always the same. In fact, just watching those leaders helped lead me back to my faith.”

Graduates Miles Ozorio and Claire Bassett offered student reflections, drawing on the class of 2025 verse from Job 12:13: “With God are wisdom and strength, he has counsel and understanding.”

Ozorio expressed gratitude for the community’s support, particularly during challenging times like the death of a family member. “Not every season was summer,” he said. “There were winters, too, where we dealt with losses, with breakups and tough decisions. God used the people to your left and your right to encourage you, to mold you, to love you, but to ultimately point you toward him.”

Bassett shared about her transformative experience studying abroad in Cairo, Istanbul and Jerusalem, which broadened her understanding of Christian worship and the complexities of the conflict in Israel and Palestine. “There is rarely one evil enemy and one faultless hero,” she said. “Life is more nuanced than that. This experience didn’t lead me to choose a side. Instead, it gave me compassion and empathy to see there’s more than what meets the eye in any given situation.”

Angela D’Amour, interim vice president for student life, gave Abigail Hundley and Zach Yates the Dean’s Award, recognizing the outstanding male and female graduates who have displayed excellence in the classroom, made superior contributions to an intercollegiate athletic team, and demonstrated a deep faith in Christ.

David Shiang won the Dave Dolan Award, which recognizes the outstanding graduate whose campus leadership has made significant contributions in our awareness and response to the social and spiritual needs of the community, the nation and the world.

Claire Bassett and Levi Wicks won Kenneth Monroe Awards, given to the outstanding male and female graduates who have demonstrated superior academic achievement in the classroom, excelled as leaders on campus, and shaped other students’ lives through their integrity, character, and faithfulness.

Provost Kim Denu recognized nine First Seniors, who finished their Westmont education with a perfect 4.0 GPA: Meredith Araujo (Kinesiology), Andrew Bradshaw (Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship), Johanna Gilbert (Sociology), Gracie Hagemeister (Liberal Studies), Joshua Jang (Biology, Biochemistry, Kinesiology), Kiersten Patzia (Liberal Studies), Sarah Remland (Psychology), Anna Thomas (Chemistry) and Christine Venzor (Liberal Studies).

She offered Bruce and Adaline Bare Outstanding Teacher Awards to Nathan Huff, associate professor of art, Lisa DeBoer, professor of art, and Tim Van Haitsma, associate professor of kinesiology. John Blondell, retiring professor of theater arts and global ambassador for the performing arts, was awarded the Special Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship and Production. 

In his final charge to the graduates, President Gayle D. Beebe drew from the book of Job and the recently released Global Flourishing Study, which Westmont professor Blake Victor Kent participated in.

The study examines flourishing in six domains: happiness and life satisfaction; meaning and purpose; character and virtue; close social relationships; financial and material stability; and mental and physical health and well-being. Early reports of the results indicate that those who identify as spiritual and religious score statistically higher on average than those who consider themselves neither spiritual nor religious. Additionally, people who say religion is an important part of their daily life report an even greater sense of overall flourishing.

“What I’d like to suggest to you, which I think is the concluding message of the book of Job, is that anchoring our life to God may not change the circumstances of our life, but it will change our outlook and our ability to deal with our life circumstances,” Beebe said. 

Westmont Commencement was featured in area news stories on Noozhawk and News Channel 3-12.