MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University spring graduate Josh Narrell, self-proclaimed “forever student,” closed out his Blue Raider experience boasting summa cum laude honors (4.0 GPA) with a master’s in media and communications. 

The 24-year-old Murfreesboro resident has spent the better of five years at MTSU for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees and looks back to his time on campus fondly.

“I think MTSU is good for anything anyone wants to do,” says Narrell, former president of campus ministry UKIRK and graduate assistant in MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center. 

Narrell was among 2,378 new graduates who crossed the stage of Murphy Center during three commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday, May 9-10, with thousands of family, friends and supporters on hand to celebrate the spring Class of 2025.

Friday keynote speaker and MTSU Alumni Association President Rob Payne, owner of animal nutrition company Payne Analytics, told graduates that like many of them, he was a first-generation college graduate. But he reminded them that while graduation will complete the “formal education” for many of them, they must now turn to the “informal education” that is life, and they’ll need to answer the question of “what do you want to be when you grow up?”

Payne recalled wanting to be a country singer and astronaut as a child, to a sports announcer as he got older to eventually becoming an animal nutrition scientist and now a company owner.

“Never in any of my formal training did I learn about HR processes, profit-loss statements, cultural norms, parenting, or marriage, yet here I am doing it. Needless to say, none of those things were even remotely in my plans when I sat where you are today,” said Payne, who shared that his career has led him and his family to live on three continents and visit more than 40 countries, including their youngest son being born in Singapore.

“But I wouldn’t change a thing, because it has all combined to make me who I am today. As I stand here four days shy of my 50th birthday, I can tell you that I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up — and that’s OK. … The point is to keep an open mind, stay inquisitive, keep learning and growing.”

‘I feel like a different person’

Gita Swaminathan, 21, of Brentwood, feels her time at MTSU has led to personal growth as she embarks on her professional journey.

“One chapter of my life is now over,” said Swaminathan, an Honors College Buchanan Fellow (the most coveted MTSU scholarship awarded). “I feel like a different person than the one who entered as a freshman. I have developed a mental and emotional maturity, and my skills are more refined.”

Swaminathan graduated magna cum laude (3.8 GPA) majoring in mechatronics engineering, “making a lot of friends, working with the Experimental Vehicles Program building a lunar rover and an event planner with the Student Government Association,” she said.

Swaminathan, whose older sisters Neena and Maya Swaminathan are Honors College and MTSU alumni, next plans to spend two weeks traveling to Germany and Switzerland “to practice my German” learned in high school before returning to work full time at Schneider Electric in Smyrna, where she worked in different roles in manufacturing supply chain since October 2023 while attending MTSU.

During his Saturday morning keynote remarks, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton urged graduates to not ignore the wisdom of their parents and grandparents, to not be afraid to fail, and to make a call sometimes rather send a text — or simply put the tech away to enjoy life’s precious moments.

“The most important lessons — the ones that shape your character, your values, and your vision for the future — come in everyday moments, but you have to have your eyes open and listen,” said Sexton, speaker since 2019 while representing District 25. “… MTSU has given you a solid foundation, one built on curiosity, innovation and grit. We need more people with grit. One bad test doesn’t define your academic career, just like a bad day or bad week or bad year doesn’t define you.”

‘Find your cheerleaders’

Saturday afternoon keynote speaker and alumnus Tracey Rogers, vice president with Nexstar Media Group Inc., reflected on the many influential “cheerleaders” she had throughout her life and career, such as the late MTSU journalism professors Ralph Hillman, Glen Himebaugh and Dennis O’Neal, and retired professor Bob Spires, who were “mentors, champions, and sometimes, even a bit like family.”

“As you leave here and step into the next chapter, I’ve got one big piece of advice: find your cheerleaders. They might be friends, mentors, coworkers, family,” said Rogers, whose media career has taken her all over the country. “But here’s the other half of that advice: be a cheerleader for someone else. Challenge them. Encourage them. Share what you know. Help someone else chase their dreams.”

The 2,378 graduates in the spring Class of 2025 included 1,975 undergraduates and 403 graduate students, including 360 master’s recipients, 21 education specialist recipients and 22 doctoral recipients. In addition, 18 graduate students and one undergraduate student received certificates, according to the Registrar’s Office.

Graduate and undergraduate students in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, College of Education and College of Media and Entertainment received their degrees in the Friday afternoon ceremony, followed by the College of Basic and Applied Sciences and University College on Saturday morning, then the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences and College of Liberal Arts on Saturday afternoon.

In praising graduates and their families and supporters in achieving this academic milestone, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee noted that the university is key economic engine for the region and state “providing unparalleled opportunities for students from all walks of life.”

“We are the No. 1 provider of college graduates to the Greater Nashville economy,” he continued. “We have innovative and often tops in the nation academic programs attuned to the nation’s needs. … Our commitment to student success isn’t just a slogan, it is part of our DNA.”

One of graduate Narrell’s favorite aspects about MTSU was the level of involvement he was able to have in smaller scale classes as he progressed through his degree. 

“That was my favorite part… getting to know people around me,” he said.

Alongside his campus involvements, Narrell also had the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in Germany, something he attributes as helping him find his place. Following graduation, Narrell is planning to return to Germany to begin his career.

“You can find your community anywhere here… MTSU provided me that and I’m very thankful,” he said. 

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

With spring 2025 graduates, MTSU has awarded approximately 190,000 degrees to its students, including associate, bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degrees, since its 1911 founding.

For updates on MTSU anytime, visit https://mtsu.edu or https://mtsunews.com. 

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu), Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu), Karli Sutton (Karli.Sutton@mtsu.edu)