Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Holds 2025 Pacific Graduation Ceremony in Tokyo
Graduates, government partners and university representatives honored the academic achievements of the 2025 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduating class at the Tokyo commencement ceremony at The Hilton Odaiba in Tokyo, Japan. Students from mainland Japan, Okinawa, South Korea and as far away as Kazakhstan and Taiwan came together on Dec. 7 to celebrate their academic milestone with friends and family amidst breathtaking views of Tokyo Bay and the iconic Rainbow Bridge.
A total of 157 students in the U.S. Military Pacific Command were awarded degrees from August 2024 to September 2025, and 59 graduates attended the annual celebration. Family, friends, members of the university community and Embry-Riddle mascot Ernie the Eagle helped the graduates celebrate.
Worldwide Campus Chancellor John R. Watret, Ph.D., FRAeS, opened the ceremony and Jim Pepin, vice chancellor for Student Success, welcomed the students, families and guests. Sherwin Baptiste, adjunct faculty for the College of Aviation, and commencement speaker Terry Wettig, Ph.D., completed the platform party. Hayley Yamanaka, executive director for PACOM, served as the ceremony’s reader.
“With a century of innovation and a decade of military student support in the Pacific, the class of 2025 pioneer the achievements that shape ERAU’s legacy,” said Yamanaka. “They step away from commencement prepared to contribute to the industry’s next era and have honed essential skills through rigorous degree programs that will serve them well across the aviation and aerospace sectors. We remain deeply grateful to our government and industry partners for their support, and to our academic advisors for guiding each student throughout their educational journey. Celebrating our students alongside their families and friends here in Tokyo continues to be a profound point of pride for us.”
Wettig serves as the Chief of Force Development, Education and Training at Headquarters, Pacific Air Command (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam), overseeing voluntary education and training for all military and civilian personnel across bases throughout the Pacific Theater. A retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, Wettig spent most of his career in the Security Police career field. A graduate of the FBI Academy, Wettig served as Chief of Task Force Safe Passage and was responsible for relocating and repatriating nearly 8,000 Cuban Nationals from the Republic of Panama to Cuba before his final assignment to the Community College of the Air Force. Wettig has received multiple military honors, including the Meritorious Service Medal, four oak leaf clusters; the Aerial Achievement Medal; the Joint Service Commendation Medal; and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
“We live in a dynamic and rapidly changing world. Education helps us understand this, helps us to appreciate it and helps us to guide it. You must reflect upon your journey and practice daily
what you have so diligently learned,” Wettig told graduates. “You have worked hard for your education and so now let your education work for you!”
Watret summarized the day’s events, stating: “The graduation ceremony in Tokyo marks not only the achievements of our remarkable students, but also two extraordinary milestones: a decade of partnership with PACOM and the centennial anniversary of our university. As we honor the past and look toward the future, we celebrate the global connections, shared purpose and enduring commitment to excellence that have brought us to this moment.”