Photo By Cmdr. Jeffrey Gray | A cadet steps forward into the next phase of their life—not with fanfare, but with...... read more read more
CHICAGO—The Hyman G. Rickover Naval Academy marked a milestone on Jun. 2 as the Class of 2025 graduated in a ceremony that honored not only academic success, but a deeper commitment to leadership, service, and civic responsibility.
The Copernicus Center provided a proper stage for this special occasion. Originally built as a cultural landmark for Chicago’s Polish community, the historic hall mirrors the Academy’s rich immigrant tradition, making it a place where personal journeys and civic purpose intersect.
This year, the Academy was treated to two distinguished speakers: Rear Adm. Melvin Smith, Deputy Director for Global Operations at U.S. Strategic Command, and Capt. Christopher Labissiere, Commanding Officer, Navy Reserve Center, Great Lakes. Both offered graduates not only words of inspiration, but hard-earned lessons from long careers and experience grounded in service and leadership.
Navy Band Great Lakes opened the ceremony, with a stirring performance that filled the hall with the unmistakable spirit of duty and tradition. Before an audience of approximately 450 proud families, faculty, friends, and honored guests, the cadets marched in with sharp precision—their uniforms crisp and their bearing steady.
Long-time Superintendent Michael Biela welcomed guests, recognizing not only the graduates but also the parents, teachers, mentors, and Friends of Rickover—including founding member Nancy Meyerson—who has supported many classes of cadets throughout their journey at the academy since its inception back in 2005.
“This is more than a graduation,” Biela said. “Today we celebrate not just academic achievement, but the assumption of responsibility. These young men and women are ready to serve their communities, their country, and each other.”
Labissiere underscored that message. Speaking candidly, he urged the graduates to anchor their lives in character and resilience.
“Character is not perfection—it’s authenticity,” he said, citing James 3:17. “Leadership means producing good fruit—helping others to flourish.” Acknowledging that setbacks will come, he added, “You will stumble. You will fall. But failure does not define you. Your strength will be measured by how fiercely you rise.”
Quoting Sun Tzu, Labissiere encouraged the graduates to emulate water: adaptable, persistent, adjusting constantly to circumstances without losing direction. “Resilience isn’t the absence of hardship,” he said. “It’s the daily choice to face challenges with faith, courage, and determination.”
Smith delivered the commencement address and brought a personal history to the moment. Sixteen years earlier, as a junior officer and executive assistant to Adm. Kirkland Donald, then Director of the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program, Smith had stood in this same hall at the academy’s inaugural commencement with Donald and Mrs. Eleonore Rickover, widow of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. Now, returning as a flag officer, he personified the path of leadership and service the graduates are preparing to walk.
“Excellence is not an accident,” Smith told them. “It is a habit forged under pressure.” Invoking Admiral Rickover’s legacy as father of the nuclear Navy, he reminded the graduates that while technology and systems evolve, the actions of individuals still determine the fate of nations.
Speaking from his Strategic Command position, Smith offered a clear-eyed view of the world the graduates will face—one marked by emerging technologies, unconventional adversaries, and unpredictable threats. But his message carried not fear, but purpose.
“The battlefield changes daily,” he said. “What matters most is not just intelligence or skill—though you have both—but the strength to do what is right, even when it’s hard.” Leadership, he emphasized, always begins and ends with service.
That commitment to service was on full display as eleven graduates stood to be recognized for their enlistments in the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy, Army, and Coast Guard. The applause that followed reflected the pride of an entire community.
“These young men and women have answered a call greater than themselves,” Smith said. “They remind us that leadership always begins with service.”
The ceremony also honored personal achievements and reflections. Assistant Principal Jennifer Narbert presided over the presentation of awards, including the Submarine Veterans Scholarship, the Thomas Grabowski Service Award, and the Empowerment Award from the Friends of Rickover.
Valedictorian Jacob Purchla shared his personal story, tracing his path from a kindergartener who spoke only Polish to graduating at the top of his class and preparing to study civil engineering at Bradley University.
“I was the kid who stared blankly when someone said, ‘What’s up,’ because I didn’t know what that meant,” Purchla recalled with a smile. “Rickover taught me that success isn’t about having it all figured out—it’s about showing up, staying curious, and pushing forward, even when you want to quit.”
His words captured the spirit of the Class of 2025—humble, determined, and hopeful. “Whether you’re headed to college, the military, or the workforce,” he said, “you don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to keep going.”
As the ceremony drew to a close, the graduates received one final charge, reflecting the Academy’s mission to prepare principled leaders ready to serve wherever life may take them.
“This world doesn’t need more managers of the moment,” Smith told them. “It needs architects of the future. Go build.”
With that, the Rickover Naval Academy Class of 2025 stepped forward—prepared to lead.
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2025 09:37 |
| Story ID: | 500307 |
| Location: | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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