PHOTOS: Class of spring 2026 graduates in style
Nearly 1,500 grads receive surprise MSU Denver-branded goodr sunglasses alongside their diplomas.
Students at Metropolitan State University of Denver received an unexpected gift during Commencement ceremonies this spring. Alumnus Stephen Lease, CEO of goodr sunglasses, provided each grad in attendance — nearly 1,500 total — with a pair of custom sunglasses, which are titled Get Rowdy in honor of the University’s mascot.
Lease invited grads to put on the glasses and join him and President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., for a selfie prior to his keynote address.
The spring ceremony celebrated 1,455 graduates (1,139 undergraduate and 316 graduate students) who turned ambition into achievement.
“It is the diversity of thought, of background, of stories that you’ve experienced during your time at MSU Denver that makes you special — and it has prepared you for the modern workforce… a workforce that needs Changemakers like all of you,” Davidson said.
Davidson then welcomed Lease, highlighting that his path from student to successful entrepreneur included many failures along the way, a theme that Lease returned to in his speech.
“My team at goodr is now 170 people, and every time we hire, I do a connect lunch. And I always get asked the same question: ‘What advice would you give your younger self?’” he said. “My answer is always the same… NOTHING. I’ve made so many mistakes in life, they’d barely fit in the Grand Canyon. And I had to learn every one of those lessons myself to become who I am today.”
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The ceremonies also included remarks from Provost’s Award recipient Madison Larsen and President’s Award recipient Ashley Torrez, students who represent Roadrunner drive and tenacity.
“Balancing multiple roles taught me that real impact isn’t about the position you hold, it’s about the authenticity and purpose you pour into everything you do,” Larsen said. “As graduates, you’ll be no stranger to the question ‘what are you going to do next?’ However, instead of focusing on what you are going to do, consider who you are going to be.”
A recording of the Commencement ceremonies will be available on MSU Denver’s Vimeo page and in the Commencement archive next week.
