Commencement is always a bittersweet time for Temple University's extended family. We're filled with pride in our graduates' accomplishments, and yet we're sad to see another cohort of Temple students say goodbye. The Temple Made profile series has introduced us to many unforgettable students. In this video, May graduates explain what the Temple experience meant to them.

Community and regional planning master's degree candidate Lindsey Graham has a passion for solving community problems, particularly in the area of transportation. A semi-finalist for the prestigious national Presidential Management Fellows program, she has plans to work in federal government and someday head a major planning organization.

Joseph B. Stoney was a 23-year-old out of Northeast Philadelphia when he started his Temple journey almost a decade ago. After overcoming a series of obstacles that would have defeated many students, he will become the first person in his family to earn a college degree. The mechanical engineering major has been chosen to be the student speaker at Temple's 126th Commencement Exercises.

Jared Malan was one of 10 members of the Temple School of Podiatric Medicine’s Sports Medicine Club volunteering at the finish line of the Boston Marathon last month when twin bombs detonated a short distance away.

Years of pushing himself to gain real-world experience through a series of internships — including a recent position with the Brooklyn Nets — gave Colt Dorsey an edge on the competition and secured his break into the business of sports marketing. In June, the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management graduate will start a business development ticket sales position with the Miami Dolphins.

Motivated by a compelling need to make a difference in alternative energy, Eric Hunter pursued a bachelor’s degree in physics at Temple. Along the way, he became involved in dark matter research in the lab of Physics Professor C. J. Martoff, which led to a U.S. Department of Energy fellowship at Italy’s Gran Sasso National Laboratory, one of the world’s leading dark matter detection facilities.

Spanish major Rachel Aistrop believes that enrolling in Temple’s Latin American Studies Semester — a total immersion, interdisciplinary program in Spanish language and culture — was the best decision she could have made. Not only did she make lifelong friends, she also clarified her goals for her future.

North Philadelphia native Pedro Ferrer never considered Temple a possibility for his future after high school. But the sociology major has found that transferring to Temple after receiving an associates degree was the right decision. Accepted to law school, he is already making plans to give back to the community that helped shape him.

Members of the 2013 graduating class in Temple’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program have donated $1,500 to provide financial aid for future students. The idea for the gift began in late 2011 when class officers learned that some who are accepted into the program are unable to enroll due to financial reasons.

Years of planning and hard work have enabled Fabien Navidi-Kasmai to graduate from college debt-free at only 20 years old. The media studies and production major recalls how he would work straight through entire weekends at his job delivering pizza. After graduation, he will move to Virginia to start work as project manager for Blastech Associates.