If someone had told me four years ago that I would become an expert at finding a parking spot, making it to 8 a.m. classes on time, and surviving dining hall meals that none of us will ever crave again, I would have laughed. And yet, here we are.

Good evening, faculty, families, friends, and most importantly, the Class of 2026.

If I had to describe our college experience in one word, it wouldn’t be success or achievement.

It would be adjustment — the very quality that has shaped us into something rare, something resilient, something truly valuable: a gem.

From the moment we got here, nothing stayed normal long enough for us to get comfortable.

Some of us lived in Binford — commuters, quiet halls, doors closed, just figuring things out on our own.

The rest of us lived in Bryan or Milner, where sleep was optional, athletes were everywhere, and community formed whether you planned for it or not.

No matter where you stayed, we realized we would have to shape ourselves around college, not the other way around.

And every year after that, the adjustments didn’t stop.

We faced uncertainty, power outages, and moments when students, faculty, and even parents all wondered what the next year would look like.

But yet, campus never stopped.

Athletes still practiced at sunrise. Student workers still clocked in. Club leaders still planned events without guarantees.

We didn’t get four predictable years.

We got four years of learning how to move forward without certainty.

And I had the privilege of seeing that growth up close.

As many of you know, through clubs like ACSA, BSU, and CAB; organizations like Quaker Cupboard, GSBA, and Sports; and service opportunities including Bonner and QLSP, I moved through spaces where students lived completely different versions of college.

Some learning leadership. Some learning service. Some learning advocacy. Some were just learning how to keep going.

And whether you saw me or not, I saw you.

I saw confidence replace doubt. I saw strangers become family. I saw people who almost left become people others depended on.

Somewhere along the way, we stopped asking if we belonged and started proving we did.

And that’s what makes us gems. Not because we started polished, but because everything we went through shaped us. Every challenge, every adjustment, every setback added value to who we are.

There were nights of celebration like ODAC competitions, and moments of fear like accreditation, where questions reminded us how fragile plans can be.

But instead of breaking us, those moments connected us.

We were one of the largest incoming classes, and also one of the largest graduating classes in recent years — and that says a lot about our tenacity as a whole.

We didn’t bond because everything was easy.

We bonded because every time something changed, we figured it out together.

Back in January of this year, we lost Lj Dubwa — Class of 2027.

For those who don’t know, he was someone whose presence was felt across this campus, and whose smile made people feel seen.

He reminded us that community isn’t just about being in the same place. It’s about how we show up for each other while we’re here.

So as we leave this place and step into new lives, carry that with you.

As you adjust to new cities, new jobs, new routes — keep smiling at people. Keep acknowledging people. Keep choosing kindness, even when life gets hard.

Because the smallest thing you give someone can become the biggest thing they remember.

So today is not special because our path was smooth.

Today is special because it wasn’t.

The world we’re entering won’t always be stable. Systems won’t always be fair. Voices won’t always be heard.

But we already learned what to do when things don’t work as they should.

We organize. We support. We speak. And we continue.

We are not graduating because college was easy.

We are graduating because we learned how to move forward when it was hard.

Class of 2026, we didn’t just earn degrees.

We built a community that refuses to leave people behind.

The world won’t be perfect.

And that’s exactly why we’re needed.

This speech is not because it’s the end.

This speech is simply telling you to adjust —adjust to your new life, adjust to the world around you, and adjust to a new reality.

Because we’ve done it before.

As you go forward, remember this:

We were shaped by pressure and refined by experience.

We are gems. And we are ready to shine.

Wherever life takes you next, keep smiling.

Congratulations, Class of 2026!