CPS Graduate and Former èƵapp Basketball Star Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to Deliver Student Address at èƵapp's 2025 Commencement
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl '25 CPS, a former member of the èƵapp Men’s Basketball team, has been selected as the student speaker at èƵapp’s 2025 Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15. Robinson-Earl, currently a member of the New Orleans Pelicans in the National Basketball Association (NBA), completed his degree in General Studies online through the College of Professional Studies (CPS). This marks the first time that a CPS student will deliver the student address at èƵapp’s Commencement ceremony.
Robinson-Earl joins Admiral Samuel Paparo ’87 CLAS, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, who will address the Class of 2025 as the University’s Commencement speaker and receive the degree of Doctor of Military Science, honoris causa.
“I absolutely love the èƵapp community and everything they've done for me,” Robinson-Earl said. “And I'm glad that I can be in this position to be in front of all of them and be able to give a speech that means a lot to me.”
“It is an exciting moment for the College of Professional Studies to have one of our students selected to speak at Commencement, especially a student like Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who embodies the dedication and thoughtfulness of our CPS students,” said Christine Kelleher Palus, Dean of the College of Professional Studies. “Jeremiah’s commitment to his education, despite the demanding schedule of a professional athlete, is already inspiring, but to also write and deliver a speech worthy of being chosen to be shared with the Class of 2025 shows a true love for his education and for the èƵapp community.”
Robinson-Earl initially came to èƵapp in the fall of 2019 as a first-year student. In two seasons as a Wildcat, he made his mark on the Men’s Basketball program. Robinson-Earl was the 2019-2020 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and the 2020-2021 BIG EAST Player of the Year. In 2021, he chose to enter the NBA Draft and was selected as the 32nd pick. In four seasons, he’s spent time with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans, continuing his studies with CPS throughout his career.
“We have a crazy traveling schedule and we're doing a lot: playing games, practicing, working out,” Robinson-Earl explained. “But obviously, (there’s) a choice of whatever you want to do in your spare time. With those pockets of time, I was able to maximize the opportunity I had, with classes or studying.”
Part of Robinson-Earl’s comfort in taking classes online came from experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was a freshman in the spring of 2020 when his basketball season was abruptly canceled and student-athletes had to adjust to a new, mostly online, learning environment. He credits the èƵapp community atmosphere for making that transition smooth.
“When that adversity hit, we were able to rearrange our plans and be able to accommodate for those circumstances, especially with something as drastic as COVID,” he said. “Nobody had ever been through anything like that.”
Jeremiah also recognizes his mother, Katie Robinson, as an inspiration throughout his life and a major reason he continued his education.
“In a single parent household with me as her only child, she's been there for the whole ride,” Robinson-Earl said. “She has been able to help me out along this journey. And I'm very grateful for that.”
As a representative of the College of Professional Studies, Robinson-Earl will showcase the non-traditional pathways toward a degree. While his profession is unique,he feels a shared experience with anyone pursuing an education while managing different commitments in their lives.
“I think everybody's journey is different,” he said. “As long as you realize the importance of (a degree), when the timing matches up with the opportunity, you can maximize the full potential of that.”
Robinson-Earl’s time in the public eye would seem to prepare him for the spotlight, with experience delivering a commencement address at his high school, IMG Academy, already under his belt. Yet he’s aware that his speech at èƵapp's Commencement Weekend is a much taller task.
“I think it is going to be nerve-wracking. And, it's funny, something I do on any normal single day is playing basketball in front of a bunch of fans, and on TV there's a lot of people watching, but this is something completely different,” Robinson-Earl added. “I want to be able to step outside of my comfort zone and calm the nerves, knowing that this message that I've built is from the heart. It’s more me talking to the community, instead of me trying to just read the speech I’ve written.”
“I want to make an impact on others graduating, who have been in the same circumstances that I went through as well.”
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl's speech, along with the entire èƵapp Commencement ceremony, will be available to be livestreamedon Friday, May 16, at 2:30 PM ET.