Blog
Letters to Lions: Parents’ Final Thoughts
By: Brock Sanders
Graduation season is in full bloom at Southeastern, and the Office of Marketing and Communications chose to highlight a few of the university’s outstanding Spring 2026 graduates. As part of the project, students read letters written by their parents congratulating them on their accomplishments throughout their time as Lions on campus. From orientation leaders and student athletes to nursing students and finance majors, each story is told through a different lens, the perspective of the people who have supported and encouraged them since the beginning. Together, these stories offer a glimpse into the time, effort and grit these students poured into their studies, leadership roles and extracurricular involvement at Southeastern as they prepare to walk across the commencement stage.
Alexis Shank
Parent(s): “You are graduating with your degree. You are building a beautiful life for yourself and your family. You are stepping into a future that you worked so hard for, and you earned every single bit of it”.
Alexis: “My family has been very, very supportive through all my adventures in life. And the same thing with Southeastern. It has really become a second family. And I’m very thankful for all the relationships I’ve gained here. And I know that they will last a lifetime.”
Audrey Aaron
Parent(s): “We are amazed at your work ethic on and off campus. We are confident that your strong work ethic will lead to success in life and inspire those around you”.
Audrey: “I feel like my story is slightly different because I was adopted from China, and I’m just so grateful for my parents and the life that they’ve given me. They’ve given me such a beautiful life, and I’m so grateful for them.”
Bailey Babin
Parent: “We are so proud of everything you have accomplished at Southeastern. Competing at the Division I level while maintaining strong academic performance, being selected as a senior NIL ambassador for Cate Street Seafood, receiving the S Green Award for Alpha Sigma Tau, and even being featured on CBS Mornings as a college student making a difference in people’s lives, these are just a few examples of the impact you have already made”.
Bailey: “It makes me feel very loved and seen, and all my hard work that I work towards every single day does not go unnoticed.”
Callie Stansbury
Parent(s): “Not only was SLU a big part of your life— you were a big part of SLU. The classes you took, the projects you completed, the friendships you formed, and the lives you touched are part of the school’s story now. We are so proud of your contribution to the Southeastern 100 documentary and honored to celebrate with you at the premiere”.
Callie: “I just love them so much. I have such a good support system on campus with faculty and staff, but also at home. And that’s the biggest thing.”
Carrington Wynn
Parent(s): “As we watched you leave the nest for the first time, living your dreams through your college years, we could not have been prouder. You made large strides the first day you stepped on Southeastern University Campus, and you continue to blossom”.
Carrington: “Hearing those words from the people I care about the most really made me realize that everything that I could have done, especially with my brother, because he’s older than me, and he went to college first, but he took a break. But seeing that my journey here at Southeastern inspired him to go back to school, that is very powerful, because I didn’t realize how much influence I had over my siblings.”
Collin McClure
Parent(s): “We are proud of all of your accomplishments, but above all we are most proud of your ability to stand firm in your faith. You found the campus BCM and stayed involved in it. Seeing you stand up and preach the Word in front of your peers is a blessing that we never dreamed we would receive”.
Colin: “I just had somebody tell me my story over the last four years. Makes me stop and reflect a little longer, you know, stop and smell the roses.”
Emma Miller
Parent(s): “While [your fellow graduates] have spent the last four years as a Lion, you’ve spent your entire life as one.”
Emma: “I always grew up wanting to make my parents proud. So just reading this, just knowing all the hard work I put into life and where I’m going, I know I’m doing a good job.”
Collin Naquin
Parent(s): “You arrived on campus knowing just a handful of people, and now you’re leaving with a true community of brothers, friends, faculty, and staff who have supported you along the way. You put yourself out there, got involved, and became part of something meaningful. And as your mom, I couldn’t be prouder of the man you are and the company you keep”.
Colin: “I’m glad to hear that from my mom that she’s really proud of how I’m stepping out and doing things my own way, rather than. I guess you could say that Thibodaux way, staying home and just doing what’s comfortable.”
Ina Pegues
Parent(s): “I admire how speaking these words ‘LION UP’ has morphed from something that was encouraging words to now be spoken from a place of experience with confidence of a lion to be able to conquer and overcome any situation.”
Ina: “I definitely feel like my experiences here carry over to my work off campus. I’m always using them in situations in my day-to-day. So, it’s going to be bittersweet walking across the stage.”
Kennith Woods
Parent(s): “Kennith, you are surrounded by so much pride and love. We are all cheering you on, today and always. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to be your mother.”
Kennith: “I wouldn’t be in the position that I am right now without my mom, without my brother, without my sister. Hearing it come from someone who is such an idol to me as my mom, my, that is, that is my role model, in life.”
Karson Thacker
Parent(s): “We are not only proud of your achievements with school, but especially how you care for others in all you do.”
Karson: “I wake up every day hoping that and seeing it in writing, and it’s really, really sweet.”
Lailyn Kleinpeter
Parent(s): “No matter how far you go or what you achieve, you will always have my love and support, and I will always be cheering you on. Your journey is only the beginning. Our lives and the world is a better place because you are in it.”
Lailyn: “It feels good because you don’t hear this often. I don’t hear this from my mother often, but I always know she loves me. It reminds me why I’m here and what I’m going to do in the world to make it better.”
Miles Chase
Parent(s): “You are the last of the ‘Chase litter’, so we, in essence, saved the best for last (Please don’t tell Mary and Kenny we said that)! Continue to own the rooms you walk in, yet remain humble enough to see the ‘forgotten’ ones in that room.”
Miles: “My parents have been such a great support to me during this whole process. I’ve done a lot of crazy things. I’ve set out on a lot of different ventures, and every single time they’ve supported me. I love them for that.”
Taylor Stewart
Parent(s): “Taylor, we want to know how proud we are of you. We admire your hard work, your honesty, your strength, and your caring heart.”
Taylor: “I feel like I’ve always had a really close relationship with my parents and my little brother, and I wouldn’t have been able to get through these past four years without them.”
For more information on commencement ceremonies and further event details, please refer to the Southeastern commencement page.