PROVO UT – BYU Athletics celebrated this year's student-athlete graduates at the Provo Marriott convention center on April 23, 2025, honoring the years of academic and athletic excellence each of those graduates accomplished at BYU.
The event kicked off at 6 p.m., when student-athletes, academic advisors, and proud parents assembled within the Marriott ballroom. Dinner was served while a slideshow featuring graduates, their teams, and athletic highlights from their time at BYU.
Director and associate dean of student-athletics Trevor Wilson opened the night by sharing his gratitude for the privilege of seeing student-athletes mature throughout their journey at BYU. “We always wonder if the new athletes will be able to replace the people we’re losing,” Wilson said. “And they do. They always do. And then we have to see them go.” He continued to say how proud he was of the growth the graduates had made, and how bittersweet their departure from BYU would be.
“It really is like losing your own children,” Wilson said.
After Wilson’s remarks, Hailey Johnson of the BYU Women’s Swim Team stood and spoke about her experience at BYU. She described how, at first, she only cared about winning and balancing her school and sport. But as time went on, she realized that the real value of her college education was in the people she’d met and the relationships she’d built representing BYU.
“Years from now I won’t remember my test scores, but I will remember my coaches, friends, and family who stood with me,” Johnson said. “It’s not the medals or records that define us, but the people we surround ourselves with.”
Johnson ended her talk with an invitation to the assembled student-athletes to remember the individuals who supported them in their athletic journey. She was followed by Sam Dawe, offensive line on the football team and vice-president of the SAAC. Dawe began by expressing his love for BYU, a love he’d had since his early childhood. It had been his dream to attend BYU, and he’d never expected that fulfilling that dream would give him a love for service.
“It’s powerful to see your service come to fruition,” Dawe said. He shared a story about a young woman he’d met while serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whom he had taught and baptized. After completing his missionary service, he had been surprised to see her again as a student at BYU. After speaking with her, Dawe had learned that his service had given her the same dream he’d had to attend BYU. Seeing how his service had influenced those around him had helped Dawe realize the true importance of a BYU education.
“I found my wife, I found my degree, I found my happiness,” Dawe said in conclusion.
“My experience has been refining,” said Rebecca Leach of Women’s Gymnastics. Upon first arriving at BYU, she injured her knee, halting her first season before it began. As soon as she recovered, she reinjured herself at the start of her sophomore year, cutting many of her dreams short. “I learned to be adaptable, in a sling or not,” Leach said. “I learned to be emphatic, because injuries are not unique to me. I learned to accept where I was.”
Leach praised the Cougar Built program, stating that her participation in the program was the most meaningful part of her BYU experience. It helped her to develop herself academically and professionally when her athletic dreams were stalled. “Maybe it didn’t look like success on paper, but it was success to me.”
Next, Aidan Troutner from Men’s Track and Field spoke about his experience growing up in Provo, Utah. He described himself as being a huge BYU fan, and as having always had a dream of running for the university. “I knew this was the only place with academics, a spiritual atmosphere, and a world class running program,” Troutner said. He aspired to be like the athletes he’d seen when he was younger, and so he set his sights on BYU.
Troutner worked diligently to become a student-athlete. But he recognized that life didn’t immediately become easier once he was accepted, and that his struggles paved the way for greater success. “I have had many highs and lows, and while I wish there hadn’t been lows, I know they’re what shaped me,” Troutner said. He continued to speak about how his challenges as a runner had enabled him to become a better person, and that he ultimately was grateful for the struggles he’d endured.
“Our tears have culminated in winning the national championships this last year,” Troutner said, to great applause.
He was followed by Abby Haws of the Cheer team. “We did it,” Haws said. “It was so hard but we did it.” She explained how she’d never originally aimed to become a BYU student-athlete, but God had other plans for her. She’d originally started teaching tumbling as a sophomore, and after being encouraged by a friend, opted to try out for the cheer team. To her amazement, she was able to join, and had since made hundreds of memories as a part of the athletic division.
Haws affirmed that the most impactful part of her athletic career came from the people who supported her. “There are so many experiences I could list, but they didn’t change me,” Haws said. “The people I was with changed me.” Through her friends, mentors, and peers, she was able to handle any challenge thrown at her. It was those people she would miss the most, she said, now that she was finally graduating from BYU.
As a surprise speaker, Olympic athlete and silver medalist Kennith Rookes came to the stand. He started by saying his time at BYU had been one of joy. His favorite memories were the ordinary ones, the day-in and day-out activities of being a student-athlete, such as getting lunch with his fellow runners. He was also extremely grateful for the ways that BYU has allowed him to share his faith, in ways he couldn’t have done if not for the opportunities he’d been given.
“Signs around BYU often say go forth and serve,” Rookes said. He attested that service was the true purpose of BYU student-athletes. “We’re not just here to grow personally, we’re here to serve.”
Following Rookes’ remarks, the academic advisors for NCAA sports came to the stand and called student-athletes by their teams, awarding them with their graduation certificates. As each team received their awards, their coaches, their advisors, and BYU leadership lined up beside the stand, shaking hands and trading hugs with graduates as they descended from the podium. Student-athletes took photos with their degrees, family, and mentors as they came through the line.
After the awards ceremony, President C. Shane Reese stepped up to speak. “Everything I have seen tonight has been awful,” Reese said. After waiting for the crowd to finish chuckling, he continued, “Because everything I have seen tonight has filled me with awe.” He thanked each of the student-athletes in attendance for their diligence, their dedication, and their achievements at BYU. He also reminded them that their lives were still full of possibilities, and that the skills they’d gained at BYU would be their greatest strength in forging the future they desired.
Tom Holmoe, the director of athletics at BYU, was the final speaker. He spoke briefly about his love for his student-athletes. In light of his upcoming retirement, he shared his intense gratitude for all the time he’d spent working with student-athletes and his amazement at their successes. “We love you,” Holmoe said, “I love you.” At the end of his message, the entire audience stood and applauded.
Student-athletes continued to take photos with their graduation certificates and their loved ones as the event came to a close. The focus of the ceremony was on the future, and expectations are high for BYU’s most recent graduates and the new student-athletes who will begin their athletic careers come fall.
