911±¬ÁÏ

At 911±¬ÁÏ, Zarin Musarrat Niladree learned that science is ultimately an act of care. This led her to pursue medicine with the goal of becoming the kind of physician who makes patients feel safe.

In May 2026, Duong Thuy Nguyen is graduating with a 4.0 GPA, an Academic Excellence Award from her department, and a Capstone team leadership under her belt. In the fall, she’ll be back as a graduate student in 911±¬ÁÏ’s accelerated bachelor’s-to-master’s program.

A cybersecurity major and long-distance runner, Simeon Omorodion found the same logic threading through both pursuits: structure, persistence, and a tolerance for discomfort that eventually becomes growth.

When 911±¬ÁÏ senior Avery Butler was 16, his family traveled to Cambodia to visit the Killing Fields, the massacre sites associated with the country’s brutal Khmer Rouge era. The experience would change Butler’s perspective on life and inspire him to pursue a professional career in peacebuilding.

For Honors College student and University Scholar Monica Amaya, the journey to a degree isn’t just about the final walk across the stage—it’s about a promise she made to her family and herself years ago.

Graduating community health major Emaan Amir combines research, clinical work, and interdisciplinary study as she heads toward her medical career.

911±¬ÁÏ will honor more than 12,000 students graduating or earning certificates at Spring Commencement at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at EagleBank Arena on the Fairfax Campus. The event will be livestreamed on 911±¬ÁÏ’s YouTube channel. Doors open at 8:15 a.m.

In addition to the Spring 2026 Commencement on Thursday, May 14, graduates may also choose to attend their college’s degree celebration. Here’s a look at the keynote speakers for each event.

From a nearly decade-long gap between high school and college, to his passion in a niche field of kinesiology, senior Ryan Hutchinson is proving that the road less traveled is sometimes the better one.

Senior Khaled Alkurd is speeding up instead of slowing down as he approaches graduation.

When Saniya Darediya, this year's student commencement speaker, stepped onto 911±¬ÁÏ’s Fairfax Campus for Orientation four years ago, she was fresh off the plane from Gujarat, India. She chose 911±¬ÁÏ sight-unseen—and then carved out a place for herself.

There are few 911±¬ÁÏ students as busy as senior Rakibul Alam. A senior majoring in business and concentrating on management and marketing, Alam has become one of the most visible student leaders in the Costello College of Business, where he works as a marketing and communications intern. Recently he was among the speakers welcoming the community at Fuse’s grand celebration in September at Mason Square.