Nearly 350 walk in Slippery Rock University’s fall commencement
SLIPPERY ROCK — Around 350 students with their own unique stories shifted their tassels to the left at Slippery Rock University’s fall 2025 commencement on Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Morrow Field House.
While the large group of around 530 students eligible to graduate will take their next steps together, each has their own story, with their own timeline, of how they got here.
Demeatric Crenshaw, of Columbus, Ohio, played football for two universities before settling at SRU, where he finally found a winning culture.
“I’m excited, this is my third school,” Crenshaw said before the ceremony.
Crenshaw previously played quarterback at Youngstown State University and Tennessee State University. Since starting college in 2020, and coming off losing seasons at those universities, he was happy about the chance to play for a winning football team before graduating.
“We were winning, so it was fun,” he said.
Crenshaw, who graduated with a degree in strategic communication and media with a minor in leadership, said it was big for his family to see him walk after he had transferred twice. He plans to further seek a degree in human resources to catapult himself into a coaching career.
Nathan Grohal, of Windber, decorated his cap with photos of him and his friend who died a few months ago, he said. His cap had the words “forever in my corner” beside the photos of them.
“He’s always with me,” Grohal said.
Grohal, who graduated with a degree in safety management, said he was excited about the money he saved by earning his degree in three and a half years instead of four years. He already has a job lined up in northern Virginia, he said.
One students was also awarded a degree posthumously. Will Apgar, who died Sept. 28, would have graduated at the ceremony. He was 26 years old, according to his obituary.
His family was in attendance, and a moment of silence was held for him and other classmates lost.
The Dec. 13 ceremony also marked the last commencement for Jeffrey Smith and Matt Lautman, members of the university’s council of trustees, who are stepping down.
