Campbell University conferred roughly 980 degrees over seven ceremonies between May 7-11, beginning with the 10th commencement of the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine and ending with a small ceremony in Butler Chapel for student athletes who were on their various playing fields while their classmates walked the stage.
The week marked the first spring commencement season for Campbell University’s sixth president, Dr. William M. Downs, who told law graduates on May 8 to remember Campbell’s motto, Ad Astra Per Aspera … To the stars, with difficulties. “Friends, find your North Star and let nothing stand in your way,” he said.
The following links feature stories and photos from each ceremony, in chronological order.
Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine
Graduates: 162
Recap: The medical school conferred degrees on 150 new osteopathic physicians and 12 graduates of the Master of Science in Biomedical Science program during a ceremony in the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center. One med school graduate, Dr. Nickolas Doscher, earned his Juris Doctor from the Campbell University Wiggins School of Law in 2024 and is the first graduate to earn both a JD and DO from Campbell University.
Words from the speaker: Four simple letters. Each the first of four simple words. But the sentence they form is profound. Easy to say yet much harder to realize. I, A, T, P. — It’s about the patient. Those letters, that sentence, are from Dr. Robert A. Cain, president and CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. “These words are simple to say, but they’re much more difficult to live, because medicine has a way of testing you,” Cain said.
Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
Graduates: 164
Recap: Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law conferred 155 Juris Doctor degrees and nine Master of Laws degrees on May 8, during its 48th hooding and graduation ceremony at the Martin Marietta Center in downtown Raleigh. The graduating Class of 2026 marks a significant milestone in the lives of the graduates and law school, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Words from the speaker: North Carolina’s senior U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) told the graduates to lead with integrity as they enter the legal profession during what he described as deeply divided and rapidly changing times. “Find common ground and build on it. I’m not going to stand up here and pretend it is easy to work across the divide, but in the Senate, the people who actually get work done are the ones who are willing to sit down with the other side and find a sliver of common ground … the same principle applies to your career. Some of the best lawyers I have found know how to find solutions.”
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Graduates: 206
Recap: Graduates represented programs in pharmacy, nursing, physician assistant practice, public health, clinical research, pharmaceutical sciences and general science completing rigorous academic and clinical training in preparation for careers dedicated to improving the lives of others.
From the speaker: Leanne Kennedy, a CPHS alumna and respected healthcare leader, encouraged graduates to lead with compassion, purpose and resilience as they begin their professional careers.
Divinity School
Graduates: 34
Recap: Taylor Long and fellow Master of Divinity graduate Greg Ellington were recipients of the Russell T. Cherry Jr. Biblical Studies Award — recognizing “outstanding achievement in Biblical studies” — at Friday night’s Divinity School spring commencement ceremony, held inside a packed Hobson Performance Center. Eight students earned a Master of Arts in Faith and Leadership Formation degree, two students earned a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, 17 students earned their Master of Divinity and seven students earned their Doctor of Ministry degree at Friday night’s ceremony.
Words from the speaker: The commencement speaker was a familiar face on the Campbell campus, Rev. Dr. C. Lynn Brinkley, a 2008 Master of Divinity Campbell graduate who worked for 13 years as the director of church, alumni and student relations for the school. Brinkley’s speech focused on “thickets” — metaphors for destructive forces that can appear strong, deep and impenetrable — referring to the Book of Isaiah and the story of Jeremiah.
“Campbell Divinity has helped me navigate the thickets in my own life and in ministry. … When you find yourself in a thicket — and you will — don’t panic or become frustrated. Remain faithful to the call. Check your roots. Remember what is grounded in you. Recite Paul’s prayer that will center you. Recall the hood, about to be placed upon you. And, like Jeremiah, don’t stop asking the hard questions. Not because you have all the answers, but you know the one who is holding you does.”
College of Arts & Sciences
Adult & Online Education
Graduates: 191
Recap: Campbell honored 191 graduates of Campbell’s College of Arts & Sciences and Adult & Online Education in the first of two ceremonies on Saturday — 11 of the graduates earned a Master of Science in Applied Leadership degree, two earning associates degrees and the remaining 178 a four-year bachelor’s degree.
Words from the speaker: Retired Lt. Gen. Susan S. Lawrence — a 1979 Campbell graduate, three-star general and the first woman to ever be appointed as chief information officer for the U.S. Army — encouraged the graduates to achieve the unimaginable.
“And when I stepped into the role of CIO, it wasn’t about being the first. It was about ensuring I would not be the last. That’s the deeper purpose of unimaginable goals. They don’t just transform your life. They expand to what’s possible for others.
Lundy-Fetterman School of Business
School of Engineering
School of Education & Human Sciences
Adult & Online Education
Graduates: 240
Recap: The final ceremony of the weekend — and the largest — conferred degrees to nearly 240 graduates of the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business, the School of Education & Human Sciences, the School of Engineering and Adult & Online Education.
Words from the speaker: Retired Lt. Gen. Susan S. Lawrence: “You haven’t met all the people who will change you. You haven’t faced all the challenges that will shape you. You haven’t discovered the strengths inside you that you carry. So why would you limit your goals to what you already understand?”