The Future Starts Now: Celebrating the Class of 2026

This May, more than 2,000 Saint Joseph’s University students from the Class of 2026 graduated alongside family members, friends and loved ones. Ceremonies were held over the span of four days as the University conferred undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees on Hawk Hill and in Lancaster.

Notably, the first cohort of students to complete the University’s Pathways to Authentic College Experiences (PACE) program — a four-year certificate program for students with intellectual disabilities — crossed the stage in this year’s School of Education and Human Development ceremony. 

“The success of the PACE program has really exceeded all expectations we had in the beginning,” says Kaitlyn Martin, BS ’16, MEd, PACE program director. “Our students embraced all that college had to offer and had inclusive and authentic college experiences. They took college-level courses with their peers and explored their academic interests. They worked paid jobs on campus. They also joined student organizations, earned leadership roles and lived in the residence halls. Our team is in awe of how much these students have grown in their independent living, employment and self-advocacy skills in the last four years.”

The year marked another milestone, as the inaugural class of students to graduate from the University’s Doctor of Business Administration program received their diplomas. Among them, Thomas Every II, DBA ’26, headmaster of Gonzaga College High School, delivered the valedictory address and remarked on the work that’s yet to be done.

“We leave Saint Joseph’s not merely as doctors in our respective fields, but as graduates of a Jesuit institution that expects something of us,” said Every. “And so, may we leave better equipped, intellectually, professionally and spiritually. May we lead with competence and conscience. And may we always remember that the truest measure of our doctoral education will not be the titles that precede our names, but the lives that are strengthened because of how we use them.”

For undergraduates like Jason Vo, BS ’26, an exercise physiology major, the day was an opportunity to reflect on the sense of belonging he found at St. Joe’s.

“Four years ago, many of us arrived here searching for our place. As a person of color, as the child of an immigrant, and as a member of the queer community, many moments growing up felt out of place,” said Vo. “But during my time here, I discovered something powerful. Belonging is not about fitting perfectly into a space. It is about building spaces where people can show up exactly as they are.”

2026 also marked the third year of Commencement ceremonies for the University’s Lancaster location, where Saint Joseph's nursing and allied health programs are preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals.

“We leave here today prepared to care for people during some of their most vulnerable times, and we should take on this challenge with dignity,” said valedictorian Katelynn Baker, BSN ’26. “People may forget specific medications, procedures, interventions or quality improvement plans, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”

Also receiving degrees this year were three honorary degree recipients whose careers have had a lasting impact on the Philadelphia and Lancaster communities: Rear Admiral Thomas E. Beeman, BS ’74, MA ’77, PhD, LFACHE, FCPP, USN (ret.), who most recently served as as chief operating officer of regional operations for Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System; Corinne O’Connell, BA ’97, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia; and Leslie Walker, MS ’05, executive director of the Sixers Youth Foundation.

President Cheryl A. McConnell, PhD, closed each ceremony with a charge to the Class of 2026.

“Your Saint Joseph's education has cultivated something truly special and essential as you face this complex and rapidly changing world: your irreplaceable humanity,” said Dr. McConnell. “You are empathetic, curious and adaptable. You engage deeply and with intention. You are critical and creative thinkers. These are exactly the skills, talents and unique human qualities that this world so urgently needs.”