Class of 2025 Commencement Student Speaker Elijah Carr

Photo by Steve Johnson.
 

Psychology major and commencement student speaker Elijah Carr '25 talks what helped get him through college, being a peer minister and who he'll never forget at Alvernia. Watch the video on TikTok.


Elijah Carr began his journey at Alvernia University in the fall of 2021. He has embraced leadership and service across campus through a wide range of roles and organizations. Elijah’s dedication to community and inclusivity is reflected in his involvement with the Holleran Corps, where he serves as an athlete representative to the Board of Trustees, and his mentorship of first-year students through the Office of Justice, Equity, and Inclusion. He has contributed to several university committees and events, including the Greg Harder Memorial Planning Committee, the Mascot Voting Committee, and Packapalooza, where he shared his voice as a panel speaker. Elijah is a proud member of the PSI CHI Psychology Honor Society and actively participates in organizations that reflect his diverse interests and values, such as the Black Student Union, Pura Vida, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and multiple Bible study groups.


Learn more about Elijah’s journey at Alvernia and what’s next for him:
 

  1. You’re about to graduate, how are you feeling?
    I am feeling very thankful to God and all the professors and peers who got me to this moment.
     

  2. Now that you’re graduating, what would you say to yourself before you started college?
    You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Wait until you see the journey you’re set on. 
     

  3. What made you choose Alvernia?
    I felt God pushing me to come here and telling me this was where I needed to be. I felt the support and love in the air. 
     

  4. What is your major?
    Psychology 
     

  5. What inspired you to choose it?
    My love for people and wanting to understand them in deeper ways. 
     

  6. What was your favorite experiential learning opportunity over the last four years?
    Doing a mock group therapy session in Dr. Hall’s Group Dynamics class. 
     

Elijah Carr Francis Hall

Photo by Steve Johnson
 

  1. Who is someone that has impacted your experience at Alvernia? 
    President Glynis Fitzgerald.
     
  2. How did she impact you?
    She saw a lot in me and had a belief in me to excel while I was here and in my future.
     
  3. Did you live on campus?  
    All four years.
     
  4. Did you enjoy it? 
    I loved it. I found myself doing something different every semester professionally and with my social circle.
     
  5. What couldn’t you live without in your residence hall? 
    My PS5 or my JBL speaker.
     
  6. What was your favorite meal on campus? 
    A Baja Queso Bowl from Freshens, for sure! 

     
Elijah Carr Veronica Hall Chapel

Photo by Steve Johnson
 

  1. What was the first thing you got involved with at Alvernia?
    The Football Program. It taught me perseverance and brotherhood, and I developed greater confidence in the ability that I can accomplish anything I put time into.
     

  2. What’s your favorite memory from football?
    Breaking the 100-tackle mark in the last Football game of my junior year.
     

  3. You were also a peer minister. What did you enjoy most about that experience?
    It allowed me to exercise my faith with others and have thoughtful conversations about life, faith... All the deeper things.
     

  4. Did you do any internships?
    I interned at a behavioral services practice in Lancaster. 
     

  5. What was your favorite thing to do in Reading?
    Grabbing food with friends in Broadcasting Square or West Reading.
     

  6. Any favorite spots? 
    Oh, for sure. MASA Hibachi for dinner, then Yogo Crazy frozen yogurt after. In West Reading, Comalli Taqueria. 
     

Elijah Carr Turf Field

Photo by Steve Johnson
 

  1. What’s one goal that felt so far away when you started college?
    Graduating! 
     

  2. Not only did you achieve that, but you’re the student speaker. How does that make you feel?
    It makes me feel extremely grateful and blessed. There are a lot of great minds on this campus. 
     

  3. What helped you the most along your college journey?
    God, hard work, and help from others. 
     

  4. What’s next for you?
    I am enrolling in Alvernia’s Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling Program in the fall. My goal is to gain counseling experience and eventually continue the family counseling business.
     

  5. What experience at Alvernia prepared you for the future the most?
    The O’Pake Fellows Program. I worked with a wide range of clients in different industries and assessed their needs. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, allowed me to develop my confidence and allowed me to develop my skills to better serve my future clients.
      

  6. What advice would you give to incoming first-year students at Alvernia?
    Be intentional about your time, talk to everyone, and do as much as possible. Time only goes faster as you go. 
     

  7. And, lastly, who’s one person from Alvernia that you’ll never forget & why?
    I have to say two. Julia Lawson. She has seen and been there for everything I’ve ever gone through here. Shoutout to Greg Harder, who made making it to the end more meaningful. Rest in peace, bro, I miss you. I'm always working Harder for you.  
     

Elijah Carr Greg Harder Memorial Bench

Photo by Sarah Matarella

May 6, 2025