Nearly 6,200 Tar Heels, including the student-athletes that Rams Club members support each and every season, celebrated their graduation at Sunday’s Spring Commencement, where keynote speaker Frank Bruni challenged the Class of 2022 to choose happiness and count their blessings.

“You have many, many important choices ahead of you…but none of those choices will have as much bearing on your decency as a human being and your happiness — your fundamental, enduring happiness — as a choice that you will make monthly, daily, even hourly,” said Bruni ‘86, renowned journalist and bestselling author. “And that’s whether you’re going to be somebody who counts her blessings or somebody who tallies her slights.”

Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz presided over the ceremony at Kenan Stadium that celebrated 3,894 undergraduates, 1,417 master’s students and 846 doctoral and professional students.

In his message to the graduates, Guskiewicz drew a parallel between the Class of 2022’s journey through the pandemic to the 2021-22 men’s basketball team’s trip to the NCAA National Championship.

“Everyone has moments of doubt and struggle. Everyone has moments when they need to lean on others for support,” Guskiewicz said. “Don’t carry it alone. Speak from your heart and invite others to do the same. All of us are here today by the grace of our own hard work and the generosity of others. It takes both.”

To read more about graduation, visit UNC.edu.