Hillsdale College Hosts 170th Annual Commencement Ceremony, Welcomes Keynote Speaker Jordan B. Peterson

The annual ceremony recognized top academic graduates, outstanding seniors, retiring faculty, Professor of the Year Matthew Gaetano, and entrepreneur Bill Atherton

HILLSDALE, Mich., May 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillsdale College celebrated its 170th Commencement on Saturday, May 7. The College has held this ceremony annually since 1860. Jordan B. Peterson, author, clinical psychologist, and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, delivered the keynote address, and the College conferred honorary degrees and recognized top academic graduates.

Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, thanked the faculty, administration, parents, and friends of the College for making the ceremony possible. He encouraged the graduating class to live out the things they learned while at Hillsdale.

"You are awesome people, and you will be greatly missed here. Except you are not leaving, after all, are you? You're going to live the life that you have prepared yourself to live, and you are going to live in contact with this College, with is a partnership which includes, until death us do part, and beyond."

Dr. Arnn then introduced Dr. Peterson, who addressed the senior class and encouraged them to live in a way that helps them to find purpose in their lives.

"If you are going to act ethically ... you act in a way that works for you now, that works for you tomorrow, that works for you next week, and next month, and next year, and in five years, and in 10 years, and for you and your family, and your friends, and your broader community, and all of that simultaneously. That is a place to find purpose in your life — to manage that balancing act simultaneously."

Three hundred twenty-nine undergraduates from the Class of 2022 received their degrees. Twenty graduate students received their degrees.

Dr. Arnn recognized five faculty members who have retired this year: Barbara Bushey of the Art Department; Ken Hayes of the Physics Department; Jim Stephens of the Philosophy Department, Michael Sweeney of the Accounting Department, who retired in December 2021; Dan York of the Biology Department. Dr. Arnn also recognized the 2022 Professor of the Year — Matthew Gaetano of the History Department — as well as this year's top academic graduates and outstanding seniors.

Photos of the event can be viewed here. A transcript of Dr. Peterson's address is available upon request.

About Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College is an independent, nonsectarian, Christian liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 6.3 million. For more information, visit hillsdale.edu.

CONTACT: Emily Stack Davis
517-803-3745
[email protected] 

SOURCE Hillsdale College