On May 23, the University of Maryland School of Public Policy held its commencement ceremony at the Dekelboum Concert Hall in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. With pride, optimism and a call to public action, the Class of 2025, made up of 261 graduates, celebrated academic achievements and their readiness to lead with purpose in a world defined by complexity and transformation.
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Dean Robert C. Orr opened the ceremony by emphasizing the deeper mission behind public policy. “Public policy is not just a field of study—it is a call to action,” he said. “It is the work of understanding complexity, forging consensus and designing solutions that lift people up and hold institutions accountable.” He commended graduates for combining their policy knowledge with empathy and a sense of purpose to drive meaningful, lasting change.
Graduate student speaker Aiden Keenan MPP ’25 encouraged his peers to reflect on the motivations that brought them to public service. Acknowledging the global challenges they have lived through, he reminded graduates of the progress they have witnessed and their role in continuing that momentum: “May your academic lessons from the School of Public Policy combine with your personal values and goals to allow you to achieve the incredible—transforming the challenges of today into the reality of a better tomorrow.”
Undergraduate speaker Ethan Simon ’25 reflected on the Class of 2025’s resilience and their belief in change. “Belief gets us started, but action is what carries us through,” he said, recalling late nights, challenging assignments and the determination that propelled students forward. “Changing the world doesn’t have to mean changing all of it,” he said. “It can be bold and sweeping… or maybe it's local, like showing up at a town council meeting and demanding they add more street lights.” He closed by invoking the School’s unofficial motto: “Because changing the world, it’s our policy.”
Alumnus Ethan Brown MPM ’97, founder, president and CEO of Beyond Meat, returned to campus to address the Class of 2025 with a heartfelt message about purpose, perspective and possibility. Reflecting on his own beginnings, Brown encouraged graduates to chart careers driven not by others’ expectations, but by a vision forged “in the formative fire of your heart, your struggles and your vision.” He shared a pivotal moment from a conversation with his father, who once asked him, “What, in your view, is the greatest problem facing the world?” and then offered the advice that would ultimately guide Brown’s career: “Organize your career around this problem.” Brown urged graduates to do the same—build a life of purpose anchored in the issues that matter most to them.
There are many good policy schools that will teach you how to work in the system, but if you want to work on the system, you come to College Park.Ethan Brown MPM ’97 Founder and CEO, Beyond Meat
Brown praised the School of Public Policy for its interdisciplinary approach and its focus on impact beyond silos or sectors. “There are many good policy schools that will teach you how to work in the system, but if you want to work on the system, you come to College Park,” he said. He urged graduates to use their degrees as “a manual of why and how to get things done,” and to move confidently across public, private and nonprofit spheres with their vision “squarely fixed on impact, independent of your angle of attack.”
In closing, Brown issued a powerful charge to the Class of 2025. “My fellow Terrapins, go be fearless. Change the world. Have fun doing it,” he said. His message reminded graduates that the true measure of a meaningful life lies in aligning purpose with values. “You may win and you may lose,” he said, “but you will remain undefeated.”