The senior speaker selection committee has chosen Ryan Connor ’25 as the senior speaker for the Class of 2025 Commencement. Connor — a German studies and political science double major with an English minor and legal studies concentration, hailing from Spartanburg, S.C. — will deliver his speech alongside selected keynote speaker Bob Mould ’82.studentspeaker
Applying for the role of senior speaker wasn’t originally on Connor’s radar, but he was compelled to submit a speech after receiving positive feedback from others who heard him speak at another on-campus event.
“I was invited to participate as a ‘book’ in [the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement’s] Human Library event, which asked us to share a personal story that reflects our leadership style,” Connor wrote in an email to The Mac Weekly. “I’d never really written my story out like that before, but people really resonated with and appreciated it. Afterward, a few people told me they had nominated me for senior speaker — and encouraged me to go for it.”
Each year’s senior speaker is chosen by the senior speaker selection committee. This year, the committee consisted of Associate Vice President (AVP) for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Javier Gutierrez, Assistant Dean for Academic Programs and Advising Katie Kelly, Administrative Coordinator Amal Mohamed, Executive Assistant to the AVP and Dean of Students Lisa Treviranus, Visiting Assistant Professor Elena Tonc and students Mena Feleke ’25 and Meira Smit ’25.
For Feleke, Connor’s speech stood out to the committee for the ways that it reflects the unique, meaningful experiences shared among the graduating class.
“Ryan balanced a celebratory and hopeful tone, while providing a thoughtful recognition of the suffering and uncertainty present across the nation and around the world,” Feleke wrote in an email to The Mac Weekly. “He shares his personal story in a way that will resonate with every audience member no matter their background, offering connection without overshadowing the collective experience.”
When Connor found out he had been selected as the student speaker, he felt, in his words, “grateful, honored and a little shocked.”
“Mac is full of incredible voices and amazing stories, so I don’t take this responsibility lightly,” Connor wrote. “Any one of the other nominees would’ve given a great speech, and I just feel lucky to be the one sharing it on our behalf.”
As a sneak peek, Connor shared that community members can expect to hear a speech centered around the care that he has watched fellow students show one another throughout his four years at Macalester.
“The speech is rooted in the stories I’ve seen around me — classmates who lead with compassion, who show up for each other in quiet, powerful ways,” Connor wrote. “Watching how people supported one another through challenges, big and small, shaped the way I think about leadership and community. … I arrived here with a narrow sense of what leadership looked like. But being part of this community taught me that leadership can take many forms. Mac didn’t just teach me how to speak up; it taught me how to listen, how to build trust and how to leave space for others to lead too.”
The Class of 2025 Commencement will be held on Saturday, May 17 in the Leonard Center Fieldhouse.
