Celebrating Resilience, Leadership, and Legacy at the 2025 Hardee Hooding Ceremony

Anne's College recently honored its 2025 master’s and doctoral graduates from the Higher Education program during the annual Dr. Melvene Draheim Hardee Hooding Ceremony. Six doctoral and 16 master’s graduates were recognized.

Doctoral and master's graduates gather for a group photo in their graduation regalia

On Friday, May 2, the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences honored its 2025 master’s and doctoral graduates from the Higher Education program during the annual Dr. Melvene Draheim Hardee Hooding Ceremony.

Hosted by the Hardee Center for Leadership and Ethics in Higher Education, the ceremony is a tradition that celebrates academic achievement while recognizing the enduring legacy of Dr. Melvene Hardee—a pioneering educator who built a national network of higher education professionals known as LifeNet. With the conferral of hoods, each graduate formally became part of that legacy.

Doctoral student is hooded at the ceremony

View More photos from the event

This year’s celebration was particularly poignant. As Professor Kathy Guthrie acknowledged in her opening remarks, “Yes, this year does feel a little bit different. As we all know, the recent events on campus have shaken us... with all the heartbreak and tragedy, we have also seen what a strong community can do when they come together.”

Guthrie emphasized that while the intellectual demands of graduate school are considerable, the “heart work” that educators do each day—especially during challenging times—is just as important. “This hard work and heart work can set a tone for a community that has resilience and love at the core of it, which we have all witnessed these last few weeks,” she said.

The college recognized six doctoral and 16 master’s graduates, each hooded by faculty members who supported them throughout their journey.

The ceremony’s keynote address was delivered by LifeNet member and higher education alumna Dr. Amelia Parnell, President of NASPA. Parnell, a nationally recognized scholar and leader in student affairs, brought humor, warmth, and insight to the podium in a speech titled “Four Things to Remember from Making Ice Cream.”

Amelia Parnell delivering they keynote address

Using her lifelong love of celebration and ice cream as a metaphor, she shared guidance with graduates navigating the higher education landscape.

Parnell reminded graduates of four guiding principles:

Bring your full self – “Use dairy with the high fat content,” she quipped. “The richness of your background and experiences is exactly what our field needs.”
Stay calm in the churn – “Be sure to chill the mixture for long enough,” she said, encouraging graduates to remain grounded amid rapid change.
Manage your priorities – “You can do everything, just not all at once,” she cautioned.
Know your limits – “When the churn is filled to capacity, stop pouring.”

She concluded by saying, “Celebrate often—especially today... The LifeNet is strong. Please know that wherever you go on this journey, there’s a home of professionals who started from where you are and will be glad to support you along the way. Please consider me to be one of them.”

Graduates were then recognized and hooded at the conclusion of Parnell's remarks.

The ceremony also recognized annual award recipients including: