LSUA Celebrates Its Largest Class Ever with 628 Spring Graduates

ALEXANDRIA - Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSUA) celebrated its largest graduating class to date, conferring degrees to 628 graduates at the spring commencement ceremony held Thursday at the Laborde Earles Coliseum. The event marked a significant achievement for the university, honoring graduates who earned bachelor’s, post-baccalaureate, and associate degrees across more than 30 academic programs.

LSUA Chancellor Paul Coreil, Ph.D., intoned, “Congratulations on completing your academic journey! The faculty and staff of LSUA are incredibly proud of you for reaching this significant milestone in your life. Graduating from college reflects the sacrifices, dedication, and hard work you have invested in your future. We celebrate those accomplishments and extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported you in achieving this incredible goal.”

Thomas O. Ryder, an accomplished publishing executive and entrepreneur with deep roots in Louisiana, delivered the commencement address, offering a poignant list of rules for future success. Ryder built a successful career at Time, Inc. and Xerox Education Publications, eventually becoming senior vice president at CBS Magazines and then president of American Express Publishing, all while writing extensively about food and wine in publications such as Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, Reader's Digest, Barron's, Huffington Post, and The Daily Meal.

Among the nearly 350 graduates who could attend in person to walk across the stage on Thursday, Brett Chelette was handed his diploma, becoming LSUA’s very first graduate to complete the professional aviation program. Aviation is a high-demand field and one of LSUA’s fastest-growing majors. Additionally, Mohammed Abdelsalem and Majed Zeibo became two of the first students to complete the Interdisciplinary Pre-Professional program in biology, LSUA’s pre-med pipeline. In the fall, Zeibo will begin medical school at LSU Health Sciences New Orleans while Abdelsalem will pursue his quest to become a doctor at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. Psychology, nursing, and accounting rounded out the largest graduating cohorts for the spring semester.

Please join LSUA in congratulating our Spring 2025 graduates.

To see a complete list of graduates by degree, view the Spring 2025 Commencement program HERE.