Elon graduate students encouraged to think critically, lead empathetically

Journalist and author Katherine Blunt ’15 acknowledges a challenging reality – that today’s graduates are leaving institutions of higher learning across the country and embarking on professional journeys in a world where artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how people work, learn and think. But she left the students at Elon University’s Graduate Program Commencement ceremony on May 20 with reason to feel hopeful amid so much uncertainty.

While many people may be tempted by the path of least resistance, Elon cultivates leaders who are deeply rooted in collaboration, communication and, most importantly, the ability to think critically.

“As scholars, we have a responsibility to challenge AI’s assumptions in the same way we’ve learned to challenge our own,” Blunt said, “to treat it as a debate partner or research assistant, to find new ways to augment our thinking, not replace the process.”

Elon conferred graduate degrees on students from five master’s-level programs – Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Science in Business Analytics, Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Higher Education and Master of Education in Innovation – during a joint ceremony in Alumni Gym, where they were surrounded by the loved ones and faculty and staff mentors who championed their education.

Think about what it took to get here. The value in every paper you wrote or project you tackled came not just from the final product, but the mental strength and confidence you built in the process. You didn’t skip the struggle. You embraced the chance to grow.

Katherine Blunt ’15

In her introduction of Blunt, Dean of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education Ann Bullock pointed out that Blunt’s work is highly relevant to every graduate from both the School of Education and the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Her in-depth reporting on artificial intelligence provides essential knowledge as teachers strive to prepare students to think critically about AI-generated content and digital information. And for those in business, Blunt’s coverage of corporate accountability, energy infrastructure and the explosive growth of AI-driven industries aids in understanding the forces reshaping markets, supply chains and organizational strategy.

Blunt reminded graduates in both fields that AI doesn’t think but rather repeats what has already been said and mimics opinions. Asking it to form opinions and conclusions on our behalf, she said, removes the friction that comes with processing information and generating ideas ourselves.

“That satisfaction is what I hope you feel today,” Blunt said. “Think about what it took to get here. The value in every paper you wrote or project you tackled came not just from the final product, but the mental strength and confidence you built in the process. You didn’t skip the struggle. You embraced the chance to grow.”

Blunt was a Lumen Scholar and news editor of The Pendulum student newspaper at Elon before graduating in 2015 with a degree in journalism and history. She reported first for the San Antonio Express-News and then the Houston Chronicle prior to joining the Wall Street Journal in 2018, covering power, renewable energy and utilities. Her coverage with colleagues of Pacific Gas and Electric was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting and earned top journalism honors including a Gerald Loeb Award.

Blunt is the author of “California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric — and What It Means for America’s Power Grid,” a national bestseller and the 2022 Golden Poppy Award winner for nonfiction. She is now based in San Francisco, reporting for the Journal on Google and how artificial intelligence is reshaping search, along with related stories such as the rapid data-center buildout and its implications for the power grid.

During her Commencement address, Blunt told graduates that their Elon degrees and the relationships they built with professors put them at a distinct advantage in their careers.

“If you are in business, you are prepared to be the strategist who understands the importance of relationships among colleagues, customers and competitors. If you are in education, you are prepared to be the mentor who understands that learning is as emotional as it is logical.

“Algorithms can sort, count and summarize. But only you have empathy, a strong moral compass and the ability to tell a great story. Go do what only humans can do: Act with care, take risks and trust the intuition that comes from living in an imperfect world. Our schools and businesses will be better for it.”

The master’s candidates also heard from Yates May ’23 L’25 G’26, a triple Elon graduate who delivered the Message of Appreciation. A Burlington native with a family full of proud Elon alumni, May began taking Elon classes while still in high school through a dual-enrollment program and went on to double major in strategic communications and journalism, earned her law degree in December and received her MBA during the May 20 ceremony.

She recently asked about 20 current students and alumni to share one word that encapsulates what Elon means to them, and many shared the same word she would choose herself – home. She wondered why Elon felt like home to so many people she spoke with across different fields and experiences.

“I think the answer starts with this – at Elon, we are not anonymous,” May said. “People know when you don’t show up. Professors, they check in. And friends, they notice. In a world that at times can feel so disconnected, this type of connection and care is rare.”

May reflected on how Elon not only teaches students to think critically, but to invest in one another. Elon constantly encourages its students to grow while still making them feel supported, she said, pushing them beyond their comfort zone and reminding them that they don’t have to face moments of uncertainty alone.

“That support system is what allowed so many of us to become the people that we are today,” May said. “And that’s important because soon, each of us will scatter across different cities, different states, different countries, classrooms, courtrooms, newsrooms, businesses, communities all over the world. But when we leave behind Elon, Elon does not leave us. We carry it with us. We carry Elon in the way that we lead, in the way that we treat people, in the way that we show up for others.”

President Connie Ledoux Book closed the ceremony by charging the graduates to be resilient and steadfast like the oak trees for which Elon is named in their next endeavors. As she presented the students with a sapling in recognition of their growth throughout their Elon education, she reminded them that oaks symbolize the strength of Elon’s community – strength that now resides in each of them.

“My hope is that each time you see an acorn or an oak tree,” Book said, “you are reminded of the personal leadership you have developed during your studies at Elon – strengths and skills that I’m counting on you to use to make a positive difference in our world.”

View the complete list of graduates from the spring 2026 Graduate Program Commencement ceremony.