Meet Some of the Graduates in the Class of 2023

On Saturday, May 13, hundreds of Rockhurst University students will become graduates as part of the annual spring commencement ceremony. In preparation for the ceremony, here are stories from a few of those who will be crossing the stage as part of the Class of 2023.

Matthew Bergman

MBA graduate Matthew Bergman didn’t know a lot about Kansas City or Rockhurst when he first arrived at the University for freshman move-in five years ago.

“I had no idea what to expect, and I remember being dropped off freshman year for orientation, my parents finally leaving, and I'm all alone in this new city, all by myself,” he said.

Bergman, however, embraced the opportunity. In the process, he got to know a lot of other students, the community, and himself a lot better.

During that process of self-discovery, the COVID-19 pandemic happened. And it was a challenge. But on the other side of it, Bergman said he realized how much he valued it all.

“You have that all taken away from you, but once you get back to it, you realize this is something really special,” he said. “Let me truly embrace it. So that's something that I did not expect was just the close community, but I'm forever grateful of how many relationships I've built here and how many will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

It makes sense, then, that this member of Alpha Delta Gamma fraternity and the Knights of Columbus chapter on campus, named Kinerk Commons when asked about his favorite spot on campus.

“It's like the heart of the campus. It's the center,” he said. “It's where you see all of your friends a lot and just walking on the quad, whether it's in the morning, at night, during sunsets, there's just this calm sense of feeling like you're at home on the quad, and then the chapel's right next to it.”

After graduation, Bergman said he will head back home to St. Louis, where he will start an accounting job for a local company. But for future students, he does have some advice — live in the moment.

“If people want to go play catch on Lower Burke field at one in the morning, do it,” he said. “Why not? Those are moments that you look back on five years from now and you think that was an incredible time.”

Bri’Yana Merrill

Bri’Yana Merrill is the epitome of a student leader — from Student Senate to the RockCast student podcast, from resident advisor to the president of Black Student Union.

It would be incredible under any circumstances — perhaps more so considering Merrill, a biomedical physics major, was a reluctant Hawk when she arrived on campus four years ago.

“It was mainly because I was from St. Louis, and I felt like Kansas City was way too close,” she said. “I was a little stubborn at the time, I wanted to go far away from home. I'm not feeling as connected to campus. I remember Frosh Getaway, I was able to meet people from my class. And I think that’s when I really sank into the community at Rockhurst.”

The time between then and now has had its fair share of challenges — including the COVID-19 pandemic, a 2022 incident in which racist hackers attacked a BSU-hosted virtual Black History Month event, and the issues that come up as a resident assistant. But she said what she will likely remember most fondly are the relationships she’s built and the memories she has, including falling asleep in the lobby of Magee Hall after a late-night board and card game session.

“Whether it was connecting them with resources on campus, or waking up at 2 a.m. for them, I wouldn't change it for the world,” she said. “They have made me a better person. And they have made me a better leader.”

Merrill, who often says she aims to “chase the impact, not the title,” said in the fall she will be attending George Mason University, pursuing a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in health equity and social justice.

“I know one of my biggest passions is to help bridge the gap between marginalized communities and the health care system,” she said. “And so in doing that, I'll be able to promote health, while also showing kind of the world a little bit in the background as to why there's so much distrust in the health care system.”

Audrey Titzer

Lacrosse is what brought Audrey Titzer to Rockhurst University. And at the end of her four years as a student, it’s probably what she will miss the most.

“It's very bittersweet,” she said. “It's very sad because I'm leaving like the 40-something girls that are on our team right now. But it's also sweet to know that like I've spent four years here and I've kind of made my mark on the program.”

A native of Newburgh, Indiana, Titzer’s teammates were her first friends on campus, companions on the field and in the sometimes-challenging life of a student-athlete. On top of two majors and her obligations to the team, Titzer is a member of Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit honor society, Sigma Tau Delta English honor society, Chi Alpha Sigma athletic honor society, and others. She said time management, for her, also meant taking time to enjoy college life.

“You need to find time to socialize with your friends,” she said. “Go on a walk and do things that you like to do that you don't have to do. I think that's pretty important.”

But she also said she has a secret weapon in keeping it all straight and moving when it comes time to read long texts or write longer papers.

“I've always loved school supplies,” she said. “It's so weird. But I love sticky notes and highlighters and the annotating and everything.”

Titzer said she pursued English out of a love of reading and, perhaps, the fascination with the office supply aisle. But she said being able to write and comprehend information well will also serve her in her future career as a lawyer.

“I have an aunt who used to be a lawyer, and I would watch her go to trial all the time. And seeing what she does, and always enjoying reading, those things went hand in hand and just kind of led me down that path,” she said.

Jazmine Hill

Looking back, Jazmine Hill said there were a lot of reasons to give up in pursuit of a master’s degree. Or, for that matter, an undergraduate degree.

Even finishing high school came with difficulties — Hill said graduated her junior year, walking the stage six months pregnant. Figuring out what to do after meant dealing with others’ expectations of her abilities.

“It was hard, because I feel like as a teen mom, you just get told what you can't do,” she said.

And without the support of those around her, she might not have been able to become a CNA, then earn her BSN at age 28 and now, finish her Master of Science in Nursing degree with an emphasis in adult-gerontology acute care.

There were challenges throughout that process, between work, school and family obligations. But Hill — who now has four children, from 3 years old to 14 — persevered. And she said she might not have been able to do so without her family’s support. While there were certainly sacrifices involved, Hill said she hopes earning her degree can serve as an example to her children.

“I think that my kids were a big driving force because I want them to know that it doesn't matter what people tell you what you can or cannot do, it's up to you,” she said. “Sometimes I just can't believe I did it. You just got to put your head down and like continue to go. It'll take one day at a time.”

After graduation, Hill said she plans to continue working at Saint Luke’s, where she works in the intensive care unit alongside some of the nurses who inspired her down her current path. It can be a demanding job, but it’s one where Hill said she feels she can make a difference in patients’ lives.

“I do my best work under chaos,” she said. “I'm a mom of four, so chaos has always been my thing, I guess.”

Hill added she might not be done with school, either. She said she’s interested in teaching, or perhaps becoming a mental health nurse practitioner, where Hill said she thinks she can use her own experience to benefit others.

“I want to help people who haven't had the chances that others get,” she said.