FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2025
More than 500 students to be awarded degrees at UW-Green Bay’s 2025 December Commencement, December 13, 2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. – In two ceremonies this Saturday, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will award 506 eligible graduates with their degrees. These newly minted Phoenix alumni enter the regional workforce, where they bring curiosity, problem-solving and an internal fire to define the future of Northeast Wisconsin.
“We know that more than 70% of our graduates choose to stay in this region—and that matters,” said UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander. “The 506 students earning their degrees this weekend aren’t just entering the workforce; they’re shaping it. They bring critical thinking, problem-solving skills and a commitment to strengthening the communities where they live and work.”
Hundreds of friends and family of the winter class of 2025 will arrive on campus this Saturday, December 13, 2025, in two ceremonies scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. at The Weidner on the Green Bay campus.
For the past 60 years, UW-Green Bay has broken down barriers to education and each year, the commencement ceremonies highlight the positive impact the university has on the lives of graduates, their families and our communities. Notably:
- Elena Talingo is graduating from UW-Green Bay with her bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management—just six months after graduating from Green Bay Preble High School. Elena’s journey is possible thanks to the Rising Phoenix program, which allowed her to earn college credits while still in high school. As a first-generation college student, she’s saved her family thousands of dollars and launched her career ahead of schedule. She’s completed two professional internships at Schreiber Foods, balanced multiple jobs, and upon graduation, will start at Honeywell Aerospace in their Aerospace Development program. Her experience shows how programs like Rising Phoenix can help students fast-track their personal and professional goals, save money and redefine what’s possible for young people in our region.
- 55% of Saturday’s graduates are considered First Generation students, meaning they are the first in their family to earn their degree
- 54% of the winter 2025 graduating class are transfer students who have come from UW-Green Bay to ‘Phoenix’ their degree.
- 2023 class speaker Sean Babasin continued his rise at UW-Green Bay and will be graduating with a master’s in Environmental Science and Policy. Growth in these types of careers is projected at 4% from 2024-34.
Degrees to be awarded include associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in high-demand areas such as business, psychology, nursing, engineering and education. The ceremony will honor graduates and celebrate with families from all UW-Green Bay’s campuses. This is the University’s 112th Commencement ceremony since its first in June of 1970. Graduates join the more than 50,000 proud Phoenix alumni.
Morning ceremony (9:30 a.m.)
- College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
- All associate’s degrees
Afternoon ceremony (2 p.m.)
- Austin E. Cofrin School of Business
- College of Health, Education & Social Welfare
- College of Science, Engineering & Technology
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Morning Ceremony Student Speaker James Harris’ Unstoppable Climb Toward Purpose and Civic Leadership
College is often described as a journey, but for James Harris, a mountain climb may be more accurate. He arrived at UW-Green Bay unsure of his footing or his future. “I didn’t take the straight route here,” he says, “but I learned more about myself—and the world—because of it.” With support from mentors and classmates who recognized his potential, he began finding the footholds that would lift him higher.
His progress speaks for itself. Harris is graduating with a 4.0 GPA, a Democracy and Justice Studies (DJS) degree, a TEDx talk, and an exceptional record of undergraduate research—ranging from an independent study on colonial social control mechanisms, to co-authored work in the Political Science Research Lab analyzing support for conspiracy theories, to a senior capstone project on the philosophy of equitable education that he presented at UWGB’s Academic Excellence Symposium. Faculty describe him as “a rare blend of intellectual rigor, compassion, and civic purpose.”
Those accomplishments take on deeper meaning when set against the challenges of his upbringing. Harris grew up in a homeschooled household largely closed off from mainstream culture. With no cable, internet or news, the family’s world centered on a small collection of homemade instructional tapes. “I was isolated in homeschooling,” he recalls. “I had no social skills. I didn’t understand how to interact with people.” Read Harris’ full story.
Local community leader, Norbert S. Hill, Jr. to address morning graduates
Norbert S. Hill, Jr. is an enrolled citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and an elected member of the Oneida Nation Trust and Enrollment Committee. He retired in 2020 as Area Director of Education and Training for the Nation. Hill’s previous appointment was Vice President of the College of Menominee Nation for their Green Bay campus. Hill served as the executive director of the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) in New Mexico, a nonprofit organization providing funding for American Indians and Alaska Natives to pursue graduate and professional degrees.
ln 2017 Hill published “The Great Vanishing Act: Blood Quantum and the Future of Native Nations.” A second anthology was released in 2025, “Beyond Blood Quantum: Refusal to Disappear.” Hill holds two honorary doctorates from Clarkson University (1996) and Cumberland College (1994) and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (1989). Hill is the Chairman of the Rosa Minoka Hill Foundation and serves on the board of the Green Bay Botanical Gardens. Past board appointments include Environmental Defense Fund, chair and board member of the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian and the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Afternoon Student Speaker and Business Leader Raquel Botbyl’s Leap of Faith at UW-Green Bay
Growing up in Menominee, Michigan, Raquel Botbyl learned early on the value of persistence and, when needed, the art of the pivot. She still recalls falling in love with gymnastics as a three-year-old in the small gym at her local YMCA. As a soon-to-be graduate with a UW-Green Bay Business degree, Botbyl speaks with fondness of her early commitment to gymnastics and how it prepared her for the resilience that’s part of being a Phoenix.
Her childhood training sparked early maturity and self-discipline, and she was captivated by the older gymnasts – their strength, confidence and presence on the competitive stage moved her. “Seeing the high-school girls competing and traveling… that was something I wanted to do,” she said. She pushed herself through nerves, difficult skills and early breakthroughs. She was successful and completely dedicated to the sport. Then at 15, everything changed. A gymnastics accident caused her to suffer an arm injury. Despite surgeries and occupational therapy, she was unable to return to competitive gymnastics. Read Botbyl’s full story.
Founding CEO and Chairman of WS Packaging Group Terry Fulwiler to speak at afternoon ceremony
Mr. Terrence “Terry” Fulwiler, is a distinguished business leader, community advocate and longtime supporter of Northeast Wisconsin. Mr. Fulwiler is the former CEO and Chairman of WS Packaging Group, one of the nation’s largest label and packaging manufacturers. His leadership in the industry has earned him national recognition, including being named the Tag & Label Institute’s Converter of the Year in 2000 and receiving the prestigious Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 for his lasting impact on the label printing field.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Fulwiler has been widely celebrated for his community engagement. He received the Green Bay Free Enterprise Award in 2011 for outstanding contributions to both business and civic life. His extensive board service spans organizations such as Bellin Health Systems, the Green Bay Packers, (where he is an Emeritus board member) Nicolet Bank Corp., East Shore Industries, Bellin College, the UW-Green Bay Council of Trustees and many others.
Born and raised in Algoma, Wisconsin, Mr. Fulwiler is a lifelong resident of Algoma and a proud graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in aerospace engineering. He remains active in his community and enjoys golf and following professional football, especially the college draft.
NOTE: Members of the media, please RSVP your attendance to Kristin Bouchard, bouchark@uwgb.edu. Contact Kristin for interview requests and/or photos.
About UW-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a school of resilient problem solvers who dare to reach higher with the power of education that ignites growth and answers the biggest challenges. Serving 11,500 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students as well as 101,600 continuing education learners annually, UW-Green Bay offers 200 academic degrees, programs, and certificates. With campuses in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and a theatre in Marinette, the University’s access mission welcomes all students who want to learn, from every corner of the world. Championing bold thinking since opening its doors in 1965, it is a university on the rise – Wisconsin’s fastest-growing UW. For more information, visit uwgb.edu.
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