MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University summer graduate Chelsey Voyles is celebrating far more than earning a bachelor’s degree in English from MTSU.

For the Smyrna resident, the milestone represents resilience through life’s ups and downs. Voyles began classes at MTSU in January 2019 after leaving a longtime career in restaurant management. 

“One night, I just had the thought of going back to school,” Voyles said. “Something in my gut was telling me to do this. So I did.”

MTSU celebrated Voyles and the almost 700 new Blue Raider alumni during its summer commencement ceremony held Saturday, Aug. 8, inside Murphy Center.

Over the past seven years, Voyles changed careers, endured two pregnancy losses, cared for her mother after quintuple bypass surgery, lost her grandmother and grandfather, welcomed daughters and recovered from a life-threatening pulmonary embolism following the birth of her second child.

And then there was the challenge of navigating motherhood with academics, although online learning helped fit earning a degree into her lifestyle. Husband Chris Voyles was right by her side.

“The hardest part about juggling school and home life was getting proper sleep. My girls weren’t great sleepers — at all,” Voyles joked. “A lot of times I was up until 1, 2, 3 in the morning doing homework assignments and then getting up and ‘momming.’ My husband always started a pot of coffee before he left for work on those nights.”

The importance of having that supportive family and the sacrifices they’ve made to help the new graduates complete their academic journeys was a key theme of the remarks brought by keynote speaker Michael Federici, a professor and former chair in the Department of Global and Political Affairs who had the honor of addressing graduates by virtue of being the immediate past president of the Faculty Senate.

“Unlike most graduation speakers, I will discourage you from changing the world. I will ask you to reflect on life beyond your professional endeavors, and to consider the importance of the places we call home,” said Federici, an author and college professor for nearly four decades.

“Reflecting on your relationships with your parents, family, friends, and faculty is not unrelated to my central point but is the source of its core meaning. The community that you find in these relationships is vital not only to your education, but also to your happiness. College degrees and professional accomplishments mean little, if anything, if they are not subordinated to and animated by higher things like family and friendship. … My advice to you is less about climbing the ladder of professional success and more about remaining embedded and grounded in family and community.”

Noting that the institution was celebrating its 115^th academic year, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee reminded graduates that they leave a Blue Raider campus that has prided itself on elevating the lives of its students, and in turn, their families.

“For more than a century, so many have come to MTSU to find purpose and direction and to change the trajectory of their lives for the better. We provide unparalleled opportunities to students from all walks of life,” said McPhee, the university’s 10^th president who is approaching retirement at the end of the year after a 25-year tenure leading the MTSU campus.

“We remain a top choice for first-generation college students. We attract more transfer students from the state’s community colleges than any other institution. … We have innovative, and often top in the nation, academic programs attuned to industry needs and geared to accelerate our students in their careers.”

Saturday’s 694 graduates included 473 undergraduates and 221 graduate students, including 183 master’s recipients, 17 education-specialist recipients and 21 doctoral recipients. In addition, two graduate students received graduate certificates, according to the MTSU Registrar’s Office.

‘Opened my eyes to a career that I love’

MTSU has been part of summer graduate Jared McGee’s family tree for as long as he can remember. 

“This is where my grandparents, mom, dad, aunts, uncles, cousins and countless friends have gone and continue to go,” said McGee, who earned his master’s degree in higher education from MTSU’s College of Education.

McGee, who began his college journey at nearby Motlow State Community College before transferring in his sophomore year, said his experience at MTSU was everything he wanted and more. 

“I have met some of the greatest friends, students and coworkers while being at MTSU, and I know I will continue to do so,” he said.

Since arriving on campus in 2023, McGee has devoted his time to student life and student leadership roles, including Student Orientation Assistant, Blue Elite tour guide, student coordinator of orientation and student ambassador. He also served on committees dedicated to bettering the campus community.

Now, he is stepping into a full-time position at MTSU as the coordinator of student organizations and service, where he will continue to help students. 

“I have focused a lot on successful programming for our students and have encouraged better events and opportunities for students,” he said. “Stepping into this role full time is so exciting, and I cannot wait to continue to help and encourage our students.”

McGee credits MTSU for shaping his education and allowing him to begin his career in higher education. 

“This school not only opened my eyes to what a postsecondary journey truly can be but also opened my eyes to a career that I love and am incredibly happy with.”

For anyone considering attending MTSU, McGee has two words of advice: do it. 

“Come to school with an open mind and a desire to be involved,” he said. “Soak up all the opportunities that you have because it truly goes by so fast. The people on this campus are so caring, accepting and inviting.”

 As she looks ahead, fellow summer graduate Voyles hopes to combine freelance writing or online tutoring with being a stay-at-home mom. Looking back, she says the journey changed her in ways she never expected.

“My dad said it best, ‘You worked school around life and not life around school,’” Voyles said. “Through every setback, loss, and unexpected turn, I kept showing up. Today, this degree stands as a reminder of that perseverance.”

In case you missed it

Students from all MTSU’s colleges — Graduate Studies, Basic and Applied Sciences, Behavioral and Health Sciences, the Jones College of Business, the College of Education, Liberal Arts and the University College — received their degrees during Saturday’s ceremony. 

You can access a full PDF version of the commencement program.

For those who were unable to attend in person, the ceremonies were live-streamed, with recordings available on the livestream channel,  True Blue TV, the university’s Facebook page, and YouTube channel.

With the summer 2026 commencement ceremony, MTSU has awarded 194,535 degrees to its students, including associate, bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degrees, since its founding in 1911.

The university’s 2026-27 academic year begins Aug. 24, with the first official day of fall 2026 classes.

MTSU will formally welcome its new freshman class of 2030 and new transfer students at University Convocation in Murphy Center beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22.

That special event will feature Edward J. Larson, author of “Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters,” the MTSU summer reading selection. 

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected]), DeAnn Hays ([email protected]), Jimmy Hart ([email protected])