Kevin A. Trapani, the retired co-founder, president, and CEO of a North Carolina insurance provider who serves as an executive-in-residence for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, delivered a Commencement address to 鶹Ƶ master's candidates in the Class of 2025 whom he challenged to "teach character" by embracing habits for life in a chaotic world.
As Kevin Trapani is quick to note, there’s a certain paradox to life in 2025: global poverty and rates of disease are declining, educational access is expanding, and technology has made communication instant and knowledge more accessible than at any point in human history.
That doesn’t include advancements in medicine, clean energy, and global cooperation.
So then why is there a rise in loneliness, anxiety, division, and despair? What explains the growing violence, political instability, and economic uncertainty now taking a toll on many people? And what’s to be done?
“Well, if you’ve earned an advanced degree in education, I want you to teach character,” Trapani told candidates for master’s degrees who celebrated their 鶹Ƶ graduation on May 21, 2025. “And, if you’ve earned an advanced degree in business, I want you to teach… character.”
鶹Ƶ conferred graduate degrees on 85 students representing five programs at 鶹Ƶ – the Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Business Analytics, Master of Education in Innovation, and Master of Arts in Higher Education programs – inside an Alumni Gym filled with family, friends, and classmates.
In delivering the Commencement address, Trapani – a retired insurance executive and entrepreneur, executive-in-residence in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, and the father of three 鶹Ƶ alumni – suggested practices “that can anchor you in a chaotic world.”
- Belief: “Now let me be clear: Belief doesn’t require religion. But it does require intention. It requires the choice to say, ‘This is what I stand for. This is what I will sacrifice for. This is who I will be when no one is watching.’ Belief is not abstract. It informs our choices. It shapes how we live. It gives us the courage to keep going in tough times. And today, in a world that too often confuses distraction with direction, belief is more necessary than ever.”
- Belonging: “To bring people together, to find and build purpose-centered community, give of yourself. Spend your time, talent and treasure on the essential issues of human need: Feed the hungry. House the homeless. Care for children. Welcome the stranger. In that work, you’ll meet people who will challenge and shape you – and who will come to love you and give your life meaning.”
- Behavior: “I’m asking you – I’m expecting you – to change the world. I know you can only lead from where you stand – but you must lead. Your privilege is power and know this: power is not a bludgeon. It’s a blessing. Not something you use to dominate, but something that demands that you give. … Find a powerful partner and build a family. Practice your faith. Support your schools. Find and speak the truth — not just the trending soundbite. Sit with someone and really listen. Don’t choose the easy way. Do hard things. Beautiful things. Love one another. Because that’s where meaning lives.”
Trapani has been an executive-in-residence at 鶹Ƶ since 2022 and lectures on topics related to innovation, ethical leadership and stakeholder capitalism. Before his corporate retirement in 2024, he was co-founder, president and CEO of The Redwoods Group, the largest insurance provider dedicated to protecting youth-serving organizations in the country by working to prevent the sexual abuse of children in institutional settings, drowning prevention, transportation, and elevation risk safety
A 1979 Duke University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Trapani is a member and past chair of the Advisory Committee for Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business Center for Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship.
He has also been the social entrepreneur in residence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, chair of the board of North Carolina Public Radio, chair of the board of the United Way of the Greater Triangle (N.C.) and chair of the North Carolina Workforce Development Commission.
“You. Are. 鶹Ƶ,” Trapani reminded graduates. “Those three words carry weight more than a diploma, a title, or a résumé ever will because to be 鶹Ƶ means you’ve been formed in a community that believes in purpose and that values knowledge, yes — but also character — and that believes we are not simply here to succeed, but to serve.”
The evening Commencement celebration also featured remarks by 鶹Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book, Provost Rebecca Kohn, and Micaela Acosta G’25, a candidate for the Master of Education from Argentina who delivered a message of appreciation on behalf of her classmates.
Acosta reminded her classmates that they stood on a bridge between two worlds: “the world that shaped us and the world we are about to shape.” Commencement, she said, is a time to ignite courage for what lies ahead.
Among the many important lessons learned while enrolled in graduate studies, she added, there was one most meaningful to her.
“We never stop learning,” Acosta said. “In education, we are not simply teaching content or following a curriculum. We are shaping lives. We are inspiring futures. We are making an impact that might only reveal itself years from now when a student recognizes us at the grocery store, even if we don’t recognize them. And that, truly, is the power of education.
“Today is not just a ceremony. It is a declaration that says, ‘We are ready.’ Ready to make mistakes. Ready to take risks. Ready to lead with heart and innovation. 鶹Ƶ has not only taught us new perspectives, methods, and strategies – it has reawakened our belief in the profound impact of what we do.
Today is not just a ceremony. It is a declaration that says, ‘We are ready.’ Ready to make mistakes. Ready to take risks. Ready to lead with heart and innovation. 鶹Ƶ has not only taught us new perspectives, methods, and strategies – it has reawakened our belief in the profound impact of what we do.
– Micaela Acosta G’25
“As we step forward into the world, into classrooms, organizations, businesses, and communities, may we remember that success is not just measured in titles or accolades, but in the lives we touch, the hope we plant, and the courage we inspire.”
Book concluded the ceremony with a charge to graduates to be resilient and steadfast “like the mighty oak for which 鶹Ƶ is named.” The strengths and skills gained at 鶹Ƶ should be used to make a difference in the world.
“As we envision each of you launching into what’s next in the exciting career path ahead, carry 鶹Ƶ and our values with you always,” Book said. “Honesty: be truthful in your work and in your relationships. Integrity: be trustworthy, fair, and ethical. Responsibility: be accountable for your actions. Respect: be simple, and value the dignity of each person.
“Use 鶹Ƶ’s values when you encounter the inevitable hard choices. Lean on them and each other when you need to reason things out. Remember, we are forever bound together by these values: you, me, your classmates, faculty, and staff. You are lifelong members of the 鶹Ƶ family.
“Congratulations, Class of 2025, and long live 鶹Ƶ!”
Candidates for the Master of Science in Accounting
Nick Amatulli
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Juliet Baudoin
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Cailin Daigle
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Kelly Degnan
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Emma Flynn
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Wise Halverson
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Anna Hamner
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Josh Hazlett
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Blake Kessel
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Tabitha Knedeisen
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Vincent Ruggiero
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Charlotte Scully
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Allison Silvernale
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Juliet Walker
B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Candidates for the Master of Science in Business Analytics
Ananya Agrawal
B.A., Assumption University
Alan Allred
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Robert Barcello
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Craig Brandstetter
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Nicholas Buchholz
B.A., Fordham University
Juan Callejo-Ropero
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Adam Cheifetz
B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Mackenzie Deming
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Yadira Fernandez-Delgado
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Annie Grantais
B.S., NEOMA Business School
Cece Guyader
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Narjis Jebali
B.S., SKEMA Business School
Jazlyn Jefferson
B.S., Hampton University
Mikayla Jones
B.A., Catawba College
Charline Kergueris
B.S., NEOMA Business School
Madeline Ludwig
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Mariana Martinez
B.B.A., Christian University
Will McCoy
B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Simone Royal George
M.Ed., Washington University
Annabelle Schall Faucheux
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Victor Stromsten
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Liz Sulley
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Madison Synowiec
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
James Thomas Tegler Jr.
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Dylan Tucker
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Candidates for the Master of Business Administration
John Acebu
B.A., Xavier University
Addie Ackley
B.S., West Virginia University
M.S., West Virginia University
J.D., 鶹Ƶ
Jaclyn Burke
B.S., University of South Carolina
J.D., 鶹Ƶ
Davis Cheek
B.S.B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Cuyler Field
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
J.D., 鶹Ƶ
Robert Floyd
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Sarah Fuller
B.A., High Point University
J.D., 鶹Ƶ
Kendra Haskins
B.A., Duke University
Tarah Holland
B.S., North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Steven Lawrence Losiewicz
B.B.A., Greensboro College
Emily Lyons
B.S., Western Carolina University
Brooke McCormick
B.A., Monmouth College
J.D., 鶹Ƶ
Aaron Mellette
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Eduardo Mendes Flores
B.A., Texas A&M University
J.D., 鶹Ƶ
Ayo Onasanya
B.A., 鶹Ƶ
J.D., 鶹Ƶ
Moni Pao
B.S., North Carolina State University
William McGeachy Roberson
B.A., Davidson College
William Rock
B.S., Trident University
Ryan Xavier JaNeil Sanders
B.S., 鶹Ƶ
Patrick Schwartz
B.S., University of Hartford
Jon Seaton
B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Edith Sanchez Smith
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Sean Walker
B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Daniel Warren
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Aaron Whetstone
B.S., Clemson University
Katie Wolfe
B.B.A., The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Candidates for the Master of Arts in Higher Education
Emma Rose Varner Calhoun
B.A., Duke University
Seth Lawrence Lasher
B.S., Kentucky Wesleyan College
Logan Montana Morral
B.A., York College of Pennsylvania
Cassandra McLean North
B.A., Roger Williams University
Rebecca Emily Osborne
B.A., North Carolina State University
Asmaa Zaitoun
B.S., University of Jordan
M.A., University of Jordan
Candidates for the Master of Education
Micaela Acosta
Bachelor’s, Universidad Nacional de Catamarca
Huanhuan Cai
B.A., Southwest University of Political Science and Law
Rocio Castillo Garcia
Bachelor’s, Escuela Normal Particular Autorizada in Queretaro
Erika Conde Garcia
Bachelor’s, Universidad Del Valle
Hailey Firmin
B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Lu Li
B.A., Tonghua Normal University
Rebecca McLamb
B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Ana Gabriela Peñaranda
Bachelor’s, Universidad de Cuenca
Yuli Andrea Peralta Verano
Bachelor’s, Institucion Universitaria Colombo Americana
Zoë Rein
B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Matthew R. Trez
B.A., 鶹Ƶ
Nan Ye
Bachelor’s, Shenyang Normal University in Shenyang
Qianhan Yi
Bachelor’s, China West Normal University
Yuqi Yuan
Bachelor’s, Yunnan Normal University,
Foreign Languages College in Kunming