Commencement Ceremonies Celebrate Class of 2025

More than 1,500 Carlson School students officially became alumni today following two commencement ceremonies at 3M Arena at Mariucci on campus.

This year’s graduating class included:

• 999 undergraduates receiving Bachelor of Science in Business degrees.
• 573 graduate students from 15 programs, including Full-Time, Management Science, Part-Time, Online, Executive, and Medical Industry MBA; Global Executive MBA (China and Vienna); Master of Accountancy; Master of Business Taxation; Master of Human Resources & Industrial Relations; Master of Science in Business Analytics, Master of Marketing; Master of Science in Finance, and Master of Science in Supply Chain Management.
• 11 doctoral students receiving PhD degrees in business administration.

“As you step beyond our campus, remember the spirit of agility you’ve cultivated. The business world is dynamic, demanding adaptability and continuous learning. Embrace the unexpected, stay curious, and see change as an opportunity for growth and innovation,” Carlson School Dean Jamie Prenkert wrote to graduates.

Asha Sharma, ’11 BSB, corporate vice president of product for the AI Platform at Microsoft, was the keynote speaker at both ceremonies. She encouraged graduates to think big and stay innovative.

“Graduates—thank you for proving that possibility remains a renewable resource,” said Sharma. “Class of 2025, your power grows with every boundary crossed, every failure embraced, every perspective added to your training set. Your future will move at incredible speed—now it’s time to pick the direction.”

Each ceremony featured a student speaker: Matt Howe, ’25 MBA, for the graduate students, and Jillian Buenger, ’25 BSB, for the undergraduates. Also at the undergraduate ceremony, Niko Vasilopoulos, ’25 BSB, received the 2025 Tomato Can Loving Cup Award, the most prestigious award the Carlson School of Management bestows on an undergraduate student.