{"id":20459,"date":"2026-06-08T10:25:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T14:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=20459"},"modified":"2026-06-08T10:25:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T14:25:45","slug":"wilmington-universitys-class-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/08\/wilmington-universitys-class-of-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Wilmington University\u2019s Class of 2026\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column20459_422205-df > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column20459_422205-df > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column20459_422205-df > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column20459_422205-df > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column20459_422205-df > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column20459_422205-df > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column20459_422205-df > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column20459_422205-df{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column20459_422205-df > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column20459_422205-df > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column20459_422205-df\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p>Wilmington University celebrated its 55th Commencement ceremonies on May 31 and June 1, 2026, awarding more than&nbsp;3,300&nbsp;academic degrees at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Graduates,&nbsp;ranging in age from&nbsp;19&nbsp;to&nbsp;73,&nbsp;represented&nbsp;58&nbsp;countries&nbsp;across&nbsp;Africa, Asia, Europe, North America,&nbsp;and&nbsp;South America.&nbsp;The farthest graduate&nbsp;lives&nbsp;in&nbsp;China, while the graduate who traveled the greatest distance to attend&nbsp;the ceremonies&nbsp;in person journeyed from Germany.&nbsp;More than&nbsp;2,400&nbsp;students completed their degrees entirely online.&nbsp;Additionally, 1,040&nbsp;graduates represented&nbsp;Wilmington University\u2019s corporate partner organizations. All graduates automatically joined\u202fthe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/alumni\/index.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wilmington University Alumni Association<\/a>,&nbsp;which now includes&nbsp;more than&nbsp;80,000 members.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Across six ceremonies&nbsp;representing&nbsp;the University\u2019s&nbsp;academic&nbsp;colleges, commencement&nbsp;speakers&nbsp;reflected on&nbsp;perseverance, personal growth, and the support systems that helped them reach graduation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Student&nbsp;Speakers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dr. Meghan Catts <\/strong>\u2013<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/educational-leadership-doctorate.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ed.D. in Educational Leadership<\/a>&nbsp;(College of Education and Liberal Arts&nbsp;and College of Sciences and Engineering)<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ms.&nbsp;Belinda Foy <\/strong>\u2013<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/health\/nursing-leadership-master.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MSN in Nursing Leadership<\/a>&nbsp;(College of Nursing and Health Sciences)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dr. Kasey Mears<\/strong> \u2013<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/dss.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Doctor of Social Science in Prevention Science<\/a>&nbsp;(College of Social and Behavioral Sciences)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mr.&nbsp;Akib Rahman <\/strong>\u2013<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/technology\/information-systems-technologies.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">M.S. in Information Systems Technologies<\/a>&nbsp;(College of Business and Technology)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ms.&nbsp;Tyiya Richards <\/strong>\u2013<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/business\/mba_index.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Master of Business Administration<\/a>&nbsp;(College of Business and Technology)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ms.&nbsp;Laura Ruth <\/strong>\u2013<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/business\/organizational-leadership.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">B.S. in Organizational Leadership<\/a>&nbsp;(College of Business and Technology)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Laura Ruth,<\/strong>\u00a0executional excellence leader in engineering operations at GEICO and a member of the Sigma Beta Delta International Honor Society,\u00a0represented\u00a0the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/business\/indexb.aspx\">College of Business and Technology<\/a> and earned\u00a0a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/business\/organizational-leadership.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBalancing life during this journey was not easy,\u201d&nbsp;Ms. Ruth&nbsp;said. \u201cI worked full-time, changed roles, and stepped into a completely new area in engineering, all while keeping up with school and my son\u2019s travel hockey schedule, which seemed like a second full-time job. There were times it felt like too much.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ms.&nbsp;Ruth shared that she stepped away from&nbsp;school&nbsp;for&nbsp;seven years after her son was born before returning to complete her degree. \u201cSometimes, all it takes is one person to remind you what matters,\u201d she said. \u201cFor me, it was a leader who encouraged me to keep going.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr. Kasey Mears<\/strong>, who<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>represented\u00a0the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/indexs.aspx\">College of Social and Behavioral Sciences<\/a>,\u00a0is an Army veteran and director of clinical engineering for Trinity Health,\u00a0overseeing maintenance, safety, and performance\u00a0of medical equipment across hospitals in the Mid-Atlantic region. Dr. Mears earned both her\u00a0master\u2019s degree in Human Services\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/dss.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Doctor of Social Science in Prevention Science<\/a>\u00a0from Wilmington University.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOver 20 years and three degrees later, that persistence proved that showing up really can take you further than anyone expects,\u201d&nbsp;Dr. Mears said. \u201cWilmington University understands this truth deeply. This institution welcomes students who show up in many forms: working professionals, parents, veterans, caregivers, and lifelong learners.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Mears described the University as \u201cmore than a place of learning,\u201d calling it \u201ca second family\u201d where faculty and staff encouraged students through both challenges and successes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Akib Rahman<\/strong>, an international student from Bangladesh, spoke during the College of Business and Technology graduate ceremony about balancing education with everyday responsibilities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor me, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/technology\/information-systems-technologies.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Master of Science in Information Systems Technology<\/a>&nbsp;was the perfect fit,\u201d&nbsp;said Mr. Rahman. \u201cBut what truly made the difference was not only the program itself. It was the flexibility, the support, and the genuine understanding that Wilmington University offered to students with full lives and real responsibilities.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. Rahman said the University provided students with an opportunity to continue their education \u201cwithout putting their lives on hold.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/indexe.aspx\">College of Education and Liberal Arts<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/sciences-engineering\/index.aspx\">College of Sciences and Engineering<\/a> ceremony,\u00a0<strong>Dr. Meghan Catts<\/strong>\u00a0reflected on the relationships formed throughout the academic journey.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThroughout&nbsp;our journey to this momentous day, we have formed bonds and friendships with our classmates and professors that will last a lifetime,\u201d&nbsp;Dr. Catts said. \u201cWilmington University has helped to strengthen our voices, expand our thinking, and prepare us to make a meaningful impact in the world.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Wilmington University congratulates the Class of 2026<\/strong>\u202fon&nbsp;their academic accomplishments and wishes&nbsp;graduates&nbsp;continued success&nbsp;in the next chapter of their lives and careers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wilmington University celebrated its 55th Commencement ceremonies on May 31 and June 1, 2026, awarding more than&nbsp;3,300&nbsp;academic degrees at the Chase Center on the Riverfront&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":20483,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1086,1046,78,8,1073,90,357,14,76,15],"class_list":["post-20459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-2026-graduates","tag-college-of-business-and-technology","tag-college-of-education-liberal-arts","tag-college-of-nursing-and-health-sciences","tag-college-of-sciences-and-engineering","tag-college-of-social-and-behavioral-sciences","tag-commencement","tag-wilmington-university","tag-wilmington-university-alumni","tag-wilmu"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":2,"label":"ACADEMIC NEWS"}],"post_tag":[{"value":1086,"label":"2026 graduates"},{"value":1046,"label":"college of business and technology"},{"value":78,"label":"College of Education &amp; 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