Skip to main content
Graduation 2025
The Kinesiology department graduation ceremony was on Saturday, May 17, at 7:00pm in the Rec. Center gym. This year everything went very smooth and we had no problems. Our “Major of the Year”, Ryan Shonk, couldn’t be at the ceremony because he was in Guatemala on a mission trip, but he did record a message to the graduating class of 2025. Below are the speeches of our Chair, Brennan Harris, and Ryan Shonk gave. We hope you all enjoyed the event and will remember it fondly.
Chair Brennan Harris' Opening Remarks at Graduation
Welcome to the Department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences commencement ceremony for the Class of 2025. A special welcome to the friends and family, who have come to support their loved ones. As the department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, it is perhaps fitting that we find ourselves in the Rec Center for graduation today.
I would like to take this time to introduce the faculty and staff in the Department who have helped make this moment possible. First, and foremost, I would like to thank our staff who keep everything running smoothly and who helped put together this event:
- Stephanie Tackett, our Office Manager and Fiscal and Administrative Coordinator
- Chris Wilson, our Building Manager and Administrative Coordinator
Next, let me introduce our faculty and a few of the classes they teach:
- Prof. Evie Burnet – Human Anatomy, Biomechanics
- Prof. Stephanie Caligiuri – Science of Nutrition, Nutrition and the Brain
- Prof. Zach Conrad – Population Nutrition, Sustainable Food Systems & Diets
- Prof. Michael Deschenes – Neuromuscular Physiology, Statistics
- Prof. Carrie Dolan – Epidemiology, Health Policy
- Prof. Scott Ickes – Introduction to Public Health, Environmental Public Health
- Prof. Robin Looft-Wilson – Physiology of Aging and Obesity, Cardiovascular Physiology
- Prof. Sarah Menefee – Public Health and the Pandemic, Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health
- Prof. Julius Odhiambo – Introduction to Global Health, Methods in Health Development
- Prof. Ashleigh Queen – Introduction to the Human Body, Microbes in Human in Human Disease
This ceremony is especially meaningful to me as an alumni and it is extremely humbling to have the opportunity to speak to you this evening.
Listening to Dr. Sanjayan at last night’s ceremony reminded me of my own dreams and story. In some ways, I have been very privileged as I dreamed of one day returning to William & Mary and becoming a professor in this department and I am extremely thankful that dream came true.
However, I did not dream that I would be the last chairperson of the Department of Kinesiology. As many of you know, next year we will be the Department of Health Sciences with two new degrees in Human Health & Physiology and in Public Health.
So, why am I telling you this. First, I am telling you this because it is now a part of your story. You are and have been a part of the evolution of this department. Your passion and desire to learn more about the human body either very specifically about its structure and function including how it moves and how to fuel it, or more broadly or about how you and others form larger structures, populations and societies, which function to effect health on a global scale, has led this department to expand its mission.
You may not remember every detail from the classes…but here is a short quiz. See if you can remember what the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels are _______? (“Funny” calcium channels). What’s the rate limiting enzyme of glycolysis? (hopefully some of you are thinking phosphofructokinase). For the public health students fill in the blank for the Agent, Host, ________________ (Environment) triad. OK, so you might not remember every detail but I can tell you that you are well-prepared to think critically, to discern fact from fiction, and to serve your communities by promoting evidence-based health information which is especially important in today’s world.
We hope the new name and new degree programs will invite more to join us I this mission because regardless of the name, I know that you, like me, received an outstanding education which has prepared you well to meet the challenges of the future.
Now, the second reason I have shared this story with you is to tell you that you are and will continue to be a part of this Tribe, this department. You are part of a department that has evolved from athletics and physical education in the early 1900’s to Kinesiology in 1992, Kinesiology & Health Sciences in 2001 and Health Sciences starting in Fall 2025. You are part of what I believe to be the best department at William & Mary. An outstanding group of faculty, staff, students, and alumni dedicated to core values of caring for others and providing a welcoming environment for anyone interested in improving health from individuals to populations. It really is the same kind of department where I began my academic journey.
So, to the Class of 2025, you have achieved a remarkable accomplishment completing all the requirements for graduation from William & Mary. I am honored to call you fellow alumni. As Dr. Sanjayan said last night “write your own story” and remember you can rely on your education and your William & Mary Family to help you meet whatever challenges you may face. Congratulations!
With 131 graduates with a major in Kinesiology & Health Sciences (104 here this evening), it was a difficult task for the faculty to select a major of the year. Students were nominated by the faculty and then selected by a vote of the faculty. This year the faculty voted unanimously for Ryan Shonk. Unfortunately, Ryan who is a great representative of the students here tonight could not be here this evening because he is on his way to Guatemala on his continuing mission to serve others.
Ryan, like so many of the graduates here today, was more than just a student in our classrooms. Ryan was a fully engaged member of our community volunteering for Remote Area Medical, and the Lackey Free Health Clinic. Ryan also served as tutor for organic chemistry and ESL students at a local high school here in Williamsburg. As a student Ryan’s accomplishments are equally as impressive: majoring in Kinesiology with a highly successful honors thesis titled “Frequency Domain Measures of Heart Rate Variability At Sea Level Predict Oxygen Desaturation During Normobaric Hypoxia” which he recently presented at the 2025 American Physiological Summit. Ryan also minored in biochemistry, completed all the pre-med requirements, and was selected for induction into the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa. Finally, it may also be important to note that Ryan was also one of our outstanding student athletes as a member of the William & Mary Football team. We are proud of Ryan’s accomplishments which represent just some of the many great things his classmates have done here at William & Mary. And, now, we can hear few words from Ryan. Roll the video. Thank you!!
Ryan Shonk's Major of the Year Speech
Hello everyone, faculty, families, friends, and most importantly, my fellow graduates.
Thank you, Dr. Harris, for what I hope was a kind introduction. My name is Ryan Shonk, and first, I want to sincerely apologize that I’m unable to be there in person today. I truly wish I could be. Being given the opportunity to speak to you all today is a tremendous honor, and it means even more coming from a department and a community that has given me so much. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this special moment, even if it’s from a distance.
To the faculty, thank you. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to all of you who have taught, mentored, and guided us, both inside and outside the classroom. I have had the opportunity to learn so much from everyone in the department.
In particular, I want to give a special thanks to Dr. Harris. Even though I never had the chance to take one of your classes, working in your research lab for two years was one of the most rewarding parts of my time here. You were an outstanding mentor. You taught me how to think critically, how to approach problems creatively, and how to stay persistent when things didn’t always go as planned. Your guidance helped shape the way I approach challenges, and I am so grateful for the time and care you invested in me.
Other faculty members also made a huge impact on myself and others. Dr. Burnet, your high expectations in anatomy pushed me to become a better student, and your passion for the subject turned one of the hardest courses into one of the most rewarding experiences of my college career. Professor Queen, you were always a smiling face with immense knowledge, willing to help whenever we needed it. Dr. Looft-Wilson, your physiology expertise is inspiring and challenges us all to truly understand the material.
Even if my relationships with some of you did not extend much beyond the classroom, simply seeing your passion for this field and feeling your encouragement made a bigger impact on me than you probably realize. Thank you, sincerely.
I also want to thank Stephanie Tackett and Chris Wilson for everything they do behind the scenes. They work tirelessly to keep the department running smoothly and to support students in countless ways that often go unseen. If you have not had the opportunity to meet them, I highly suggest that you do. Thank you both for all your help and patience over the past few years.
If there’s one thing that stands out most from my time in the Kinesiology Department at William & Mary, it’s how willing the faculty are to help if you just show up.
That is something I didn’t fully appreciate when I first arrived here. I thought professors were just there to lecture, assign grades, and send you on your way. But that’s not who they are here.
Here, every door you knock on opens. Every office hour you show up to matters. Every conversation you have with a professor, whether it’s about a test, a career decision, or just life, leaves you a little stronger, a little wiser, and a little more prepared for the world ahead.
And that lesson, that reaching out, asking questions, and seeking mentorship, it’s not just a college thing. It’s something we can take with us wherever we go.
To my classmates, congratulations. We made it through the countless exams, the long labs, and anatomy with Dr. Burnet. But more importantly, we made it through with a better understanding of who we are and who we are becoming.
Along the way, I often learned just as much from you all as I did from my professors. The friendships, the late-night study sessions, the collaboration, these moments shaped my education in ways that went far beyond the classroom.
As we move forward into our next chapters, whether that’s grad school, healthcare, research, or something completely unexpected, I encourage you to keep seeking out mentors. Keep asking the hard questions. Keep believing that the people around you can make you better if you are willing to learn from them. Because they can. And they will. Just like they did here.
That’s what I want to leave you all with today. Although I feel totally unqualified to be giving advice to such a capable room of students, as we leave here today, remember, our education does not end with a diploma. Stay curious. Keep asking questions. Keep seeking out those who challenge you to grow. Because the willingness to learn, to listen, to adapt, and to evolve is what distinguishes William & Mary graduates wherever they go. We didn’t just earn a degree here. We built a foundation for a lifetime of learning.
Congratulations, Class of 2025
Brennan Harris continues with graduation
We have now arrived to the main event – the Awarding of Diplomas. There are a few logistical details I would like to go over first. We will call up the first group last names beginning with the letters A through C and have you line up over here in alphabetical order. You can use your program to help you sort that out. Prof. Queen and Prof. Ickes will read names and you can then process across the stage to receive your diploma and pause for a picture. Friends, family members, and loved ones – this is your moment for a picture. Please feel free to come right up here to take a picture when your graduate receives their diploma. Since we are in alphabetical order, you will know when to come up and take a picture and then return to your seat, so the next graduate can have their moment. This will take a little while but everyone should have an opportunity to hear their name and get a good photo. OK, first group please line up!
___________________________________________________________________
That concludes our ceremony! Congratulations! Please feel free to enjoy refreshments and interact with faculty, family, and friends!