Student Feature: Three voices, one moment: YSU’s Fall 2025 student commencement speakers reflect on resilience, community and purpose

FEATURE STORY

Story by: Aicha Sawaneh, Professional Communication Graduate Student

Youngstown State University continues its tradition of recognizing student leadership, academic excellence and personal growth by spotlighting three student commencement speakers for Fall 2025. Each semester, the university selects students whose stories reflect the strength, diversity and spirit of the YSU community. This fall, that honor belongs to Ashley Perry, Cole Burnett and Nathan Johnson.

Representing the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services, the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and the Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences and Education, the three graduating seniors share stories shaped by perseverance, mentorship, unexpected turning points and a deep commitment to serving others.

Though their paths differ, their messages share a common theme. YSU changed them not only as students but as people.

ASHLEY PERRY: Compassion, resilience and the courage to keep moving forward 
BCHHS, Dietetics

For dietetics major Ashley Perry, becoming the commencement speaker for the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services feels both humbling and deeply personal. A proud Youngstown native, Perry chose YSU because it felt like home.

“I absolutely love Youngstown,” she said. “Choosing YSU was a natural decision for me.”

Her academic journey, however, was far from easy. Perry describes her years at the university as a blend of challenge, discovery and unwavering support. Faculty in her college helped her navigate one of the most difficult seasons of her life.

During her program, Perry became a mother. Her son spent five months in the neonatal intensive care unit. She balanced hospital visits, coursework and the emotional weight of new parenthood, yet she said she never felt alone.

“My professors were always checking in: ‘Do you need anything?’ ‘Take your time,’” she said. “Almost all of them are parents. They understand the ups and downs of life, and they were so gracious.”

Perry said the encouragement she received from faculty, especially the professor who nominated her to be the speaker, shaped the confidence she now carries.

“I was shocked when I learned I had been selected,” she said. “It was humbling to know that someone I admire so much believed in me.”

At YSU, Perry embraced community service. Through the Student Dietetics Club, she worked with the Red Door Café and the Glenwood Fresh Market. She also served on the Student Conduct Board, gaining leadership, communication and time-management skills. Her commencement message will emphasize the values that grounded her journey.

“One message all my professors drilled into us was kindness,” she said. “Caring about people without judgment. I want graduates to keep that passion as they move on.”

After graduation, Perry will begin a distance-learning master’s program in food and nutrition through Bowling Green State University and complete her supervised dietetics internship in local hospitals and long-term care facilities. Staying close to home allows her to continue raising her son with the support system that helped her through her program.

She describes YSU in one sentence: “YSU is a place with a beautiful history that lays the groundwork for huge opportunities.”

COLE BURNETT: Leadership, discipline and the power of doing hard things 
College of STEM, Biology, Pre-Medicine

For biology major Cole Burnett, representing the College of STEM means honoring the community that helped him build confidence, discipline and the foundation for a career in medicine.

Burnett chose YSU for the Honors College and the Baccmed program, but it was the sense of belonging that made the biggest impact.

“It was the family aspect,” he said. “Faculty became your first line of support for everything, from research to volunteering to personal challenges.”

His closest friendships formed during summer classes with other pre-medicine students. The group, ambitious and driven, pushed him academically and personally.

“I always heard you’re a combination of your five closest friends,” he said. “And if that’s true, I’m in a pretty good place.”

Burnett describes YSU as a place where friendly competition fuels excellence. He spent long hours in office hours, study groups and MCAT prep sessions.

Service shaped him most. As president of the Red Cross Club, he organized blood drives and saw how student work can save lives. He also volunteered with Students for Sight, Traditions Hospice and Akron Children’s Hospital.

His time in hospice care left the biggest mark.

“Sometimes it’s not about saying the right thing,” he said. “It’s about being there.” At Akron Children’s Hospital, he volunteered with the Locker Room program, which provides sports equipment to children from low-income families.

“Sports shaped my life,” he said. “Being able to give kids the same opportunities I had is one of the most meaningful things you can do.”

Burnett also helped found the YSU men’s basketball club team, which allowed him to reconnect with a sport that had once been part of his daily life.

His commencement message focuses on stepping outside comfort zones and embracing challenges.

“You won’t grow from doing easy things,” he said. “Do hard things. That’s how you become who you’re meant to be.”

After graduation, Burnett will attend Northeast Ohio Medical University. He will complete a master’s year before entering the College of Medicine. His long-term goal is to become a pediatric ophthalmologist.

He summed up his YSU experience simply: “You get what you put into it.”

NATHAN JOHNSON: Growth through connection, communication and change 
BCLASSE, Strategic Communication and Media

Communication major Nathan Johnson did not come to YSU with a major in mind. He came because he was offered a roster spot on the men’s swim team.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to study,” he said. “The chance to swim here is what brought me to YSU.”

Johnson grew up in Marietta, Ohio, but spent part of his childhood in the Mahoning Valley. Returning to the area felt like the right blend of independence and familiarity.

His earliest connections formed through swimming. For years, his life revolved around training, teammates and competition. But after 14 years in the sport, he made one of the toughest decisions of his life: stepping away.

“Resigning from the swim team was tough,” he said. “But it helped me enjoy college again.”

That decision opened a door he did not expect. Johnson began working basketball games as a scoreboard operator. He worked alongside Sports Information Directors Trevor Parks, Jamie Hall and John Vogel, whose mentorship led to an internship in YSU Athletics. There, he discovered a passion for sports communication.

“I didn’t expect to love it,” he said. “It didn’t feel like work. That’s when I realized this could be my career.”

He also joined Lambda Pi Eta, the communication honor society, and worked as a student security aide for YSU Police. Driving students across campus helped him connect with people whose lives looked very different from his own.

“It’s cool getting to meet students whose paths look nothing like mine,” he said. “Connecting with people is everything.”

Johnson said he was stunned when he learned he was selected as a commencement speaker. “I never thought I’d be picked,” he said. “It’s nerve-wracking and exciting. It means a lot that my story gets to be shared.”

His message centers on connection and resilience.

“Face-to-face connection matters,” he said. “And when challenges come, it’s about how you dust yourself off and keep going.”

Johnson will remain at YSU to complete his master’s degree in professional communication. He hopes to become a graduate assistant in YSU Athletics. His long-term goal is to work in sports information and eventually serve on the PGA Tour’s communications team.

He summarized his YSU journey in one sentence: “My time at YSU has been not only a blessing, but an opportunity to learn about myself, to learn about others and to see what is out there through the perspectives of the people around me.”

Ashley, Cole and Nathan represent three colleges, three academic paths and three distinct experiences. Yet their stories echo the values that define Youngstown State University: resilience, mentorship, service and a commitment to community.

Their voices will lead the Fall 2025 Commencement ceremonies. They stand not only for themselves, but for thousands of students whose journeys were shaped by hard work, support and determination.

As these graduates step onto the commencement stage, they carry with them the pride of YSU, the strength of their stories and the promise of the futures they are ready to build.