SPRINGFIELD, Mo., December 13, 2025 – Drury University conferred degrees on 116 graduates on Saturday during its annual Winter Commencement ceremony at O’Reilly Family Event Center.
Commencement celebrates an important and special milestone for graduates of all Drury programs, including evening and online program Drury GO, the College of Graduate Studies and the traditional residential day school. The 2025 Winter Commencement ceremonies featured 70 graduates from Drury GO, 31 graduates (36 degrees) from day school and 15 graduates who earned a master’s degree.
In addition, 22 graduates of the Drury Law Enforcement Academy received their Missouri POST Class A Licenses in a ceremony on Thursday, December 11.
The Journey
Drury President Dr. Jeff Frederick opened the commencement ceremonies by reminding graduates to remember the journey, those who helped along the way and the connection that all Drury graduates have.
“A few obstacles came up along the way, and you overcame them,” Frederick said. “A couple of doubts may have made their way into your thinking, but you brushed them aside. You climbed the mountain, one day at a time. We honor your stamina, your resilience, your excellence, the courage to get to today.”
“Each of us,” Frederick continued, “is forever bound by a ribbon of the personalized, relational, educational experience that is the mission of this institution. Today is a celebration of all the good work you have completed and to the way in which your calling and your sense of self and purpose will be fulfilled in the years ahead. It’s also a celebration of all who travelled with you on this journey.”
The Drury Difference
Missouri Board of Education President and Drury alumna Mary Schrag ’82 served as the commencement speaker. The founder and board chair of the Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic in West Plains, she spoke on the importance Drury University has played as she built her life and career.
“Drury gave me many of the skills I needed to build my business, even in classes outside the sciences,” she said. “It was the casual conversations with classmates, the professors who challenged us and the way Drury approached life-long learning that made the difference.
“Drury is a place that cultivates curiosity, encourages connections and promotes a culture of service. And those are the things that have shaped every chapter of my life since. It was the direction and purpose that Drury instilled in me that helps propel me forward every day.”
Spring Commencement ceremonies are scheduled for Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9, 2026.
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Media Contact: Cris Belvin, Director of University Communications & Media Relations | (417) 873-7392 | gbelvin@drury.edu