Spring 2026 Commencement: Thousands of Stories, One SNHU Community

More than 6,000 Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) graduates arrived in Manchester, New Hampshire, over the weekend to mark the culmination of class discussions, essays and project milestones.

Some worked toward this moment side-by-side on campus, sharing classes, residence halls and extracurriculars. Others met their classmates, faculty and support staff face-to-face for the first time, having earned their degrees online while balancing careers, families and other responsibilities.

Regardless of the path they took to the SNHU Arena, they brought stories of success, challenges and support that led them to the same moment: SNHU’s Spring 2026 Commencement.

The Class of 2026: Years in the Making

Over the course of the weekend, five ceremonies recognized SNHU graduates and their hard-earned degrees. Their diplomas were years in the making — decades, even, for some.

“I know that each of you has your own powerful and personal stories to share with us,” said SNHU President Lisa Marsh Ryerson, during her commencement address. “You have faced setbacks. You have pushed through moments of doubt. You have discovered strength you may not have known you had. And you have inspired those around you, just as you inspire me and so many others here at SNHU.”

The degree holders who attended Commencement in person belong to a larger group of 25,000 SNHU graduates this spring. This Class of 2026 represents every state in the nation, and earned the following degrees:

• 3,700 associate degrees
• 16,300 bachelor's degrees
• 5,000 master's degrees
• 19 doctoral degrees

Among the class were 4,600 military-affiliated grads — including active-duty service members, members of the National Guard and veterans, as well as military spouses and dependents. For many, the flexibility of an asynchronous, online program was a necessity.

'When Life Tested Us, We Kept Going’

The graduation celebrations kicked off on Friday afternoon with the largest ceremony of the weekend. The spotlight and ceremony livestream were pointed toward 1,550 graduates who earned an undergraduate degree in business online.

The ceremony’s student speaker, Jerry Demecillo Tambiling ’26, shared how he got to “now” — graduation. It wasn’t a straight line, he said. Growing up, he walked miles just to go to school. And when it came time to attend college, he faced rejections, failure and multiple attempts to follow his dreams.

But he kept moving, noting that every obstacle was a form of preparation. Eventually, he found his way to SNHU.

To his classmates, Tambiling said: “We may have taken different paths, but we share one truth: When life tested us, we kept going."

Education, despite its challenges, became a source of hope for Tambiling. It’s something he said no one could take from him. Now, he has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from SNHU, having graduated summa cum laude — the highest honors that can be earned in a bachelor’s degree program.

“When I look around this room, I don’t just see graduates. I see resilience,” he said. “I see working parents, career changers, first-generation students, service members and dreamers who balanced full lives while pursuing an education. I see people who showed up even when it was hard.”

For Tambiling, a degree is not just an academic achievement — but a signal of growth and community effort. “It represents persistence,” he said. “It represents who we became along the way. It belongs to the advisors who guided us, the faculty who challenged us and the loved ones who sacrificed alongside us.”

The national anthem at this ceremony was performed by Isaiah Michael Washington ’26, Bachelor of Science in Management.

'A Community That Sees Value in Every Voice’

On Saturday morning, SNHU campus graduates arrived at the SNHU Arena, just four miles down the road from their main campus. Also attending the ceremony were graduates from the university’s online education and liberal arts master’s programs.

SNHU graduate Tien Phan ’26 addressed the audience of her peers as the ceremony’s student speaker — something she said she never expected to do.

Phan said she’s introverted, a quiet listener who was so often misunderstood and labeled as “shy” that she started believing it. When it came time to go to college, Phan said she was worried about being judged.

"However, here at SNHU, I found something incredibly powerful: a community that sees value in every voice, even the quiet ones,” she said. “The people here helped me realize that my personality was never a weakness or something to be ashamed of. In fact, listening carefully, thinking deeply and speaking with intention are strengths.”

Phan got fully involved in college life — from joining a club and completing an internship to working at SNHU’s Career and Professional Development Center and on university marketing projects.

“SNHU helped me to rediscover who I really am,” she said. “My college life became colorful, exciting and full of opportunities, just like I once dreamed.”

Now, she has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, having graduated summa cum laude. And as she spoke to an arena of more than 800 peers and their loved ones, faculty and support staff, she encouraged others in the Class of 2026 to recognize their growth over time.

“We faced our fears,” Phan said about going to college. "We stepped outside our comfort zone. And we learned that courage doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes courage is simply taking one small step forward.”

During this ceremony, Warren James Olson ’26, Bachelor of Arts in Communication, performed the national anthem, something he’s done more than 20 times at SNHU events. While a commuter student on campus, Olson gained hands-on experience through an internship with a local concert venue and as a member of the band Sunday Ave. He now has his sight set on a career in the entertainment industry.

During his performance at Commencement, Olson was accompanied by six other campus graduates, who signed the anthem using American Sign Language (ASL):

• Abigail Mae Mason ’26, Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship
• Amelia Grace Mosnicka ’26, Bachelor of Arts in Education
• Emily Hazel Horgan ’26, Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
• Jace Carleton Henderson ’26, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Madison Elizabeth Cullen ’26, Bachelor of Arts in Education
• Sophie Anne Elizabeth Hummel ’26, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

'Our Purpose is to ... Climb Even Higher’

The third ceremony of the weekend, which took place on Saturday afternoon, recognized master’s graduates who finished an online program in business, health professions, nursing, counseling and social sciences. (Note: SNHU's clinical mental health counseling program is not currently enrolling new students.)

Student speaker Donald John Mossa ’26G compared earning a degree to climbing a mountain. Together, he and his classmates reached the top.

“Celebrate your arrival here,” he said. “Enjoy it.”

Mossa asked everyone to consider what made their long climb to this day rocky. For him, it was medical challenges, the loss of family members and self-doubt at 78 years old.

“It’s been decades since I did my first master’s degree,” he said. "Could I deal with the techno-based curriculum...? And then at this age, would I survive the climb to the mountaintop?”

He did, securing a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with the support of loved ones and a whole lot of hope.

“As we climbed over what we had to accomplish — hope,” he said. “We had hope.”

At the top of his mountain and standing at the podium before 1,200 of his peers, Mossa shared that his journey gave way to purpose.

“Regardless of the discipline that you are now qualified to perform, that purpose is to give hope to a world that so desperately needs hope,” he said. “Our purpose from this mountaintop is to climb even higher.”

The national anthem at this ceremony was performed by Noura Rabah-Nasr ’26G, Master of Business Administration.

'Luck Didn’t Do This... You Did’

Sunday morning brought together online graduates celebrating their associate and bachelor’s degrees in social sciences, health professions and nursing programs.

The ceremony’s student speaker, Noelle Jones Ranzy ’26, mused on the reasons for pursuing and achieving a college degree. For some, it’s the desire to have the credentials needed for a job application or promotion. For her, it was watching her daughters graduate — something she never did, having obtained her GED 10 years ago.

She said she wanted to make them proud.

So, Ranzy worked hard to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, graduating summa cum laude while also juggling the rest of life’s responsibilities.

“You are parents and caregivers and full-time employees,” she said to her 1,350 classmates at the ceremony. “You are people who wrote papers in parking lots and break rooms and refused to let the bottom become a permanent address instead of just a signal that something had to change. And I am proud of you. You know what? I am proud of us.”

At 50 years old, Ranzy said her imposter syndrome convinced her that her career was built on “dumb luck.” She didn’t have a degree to support it. So, she enrolled in college and persevered through every assignment — just as her fellow graduates did. That took tenacity and determination, she said. Not luck.

“Carry that version of you that almost didn't do this, may they rest in peace. The one who thought: It's too late. This is too much — it's too hard,” Ranzy said. “And tell them thank you. Because they showed up anyway. Luck didn't do this. Timing did not do this. ChatGPT did not do this. You did.”

The national anthem at this ceremony was performed by Mery Garcia Martinez ’26, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

'Today is For You, My Fellow Graduates'

The fifth and final ceremony of the weekend featured 1,200 graduates celebrating their associate or bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and liberal arts programs.

Among the group was Shannon Michelle Hons ’26, the ceremony’s student speaker.

As a mother of three children and a full-time teacher, Hons said she completed her coursework whenever and wherever she could — and knew many others in the room earned their degrees that way, too.

“We didn’t do this in a quiet library,” she said. “We did it in the middle of a beautiful, chaotic, real life. And that means we are ready for whatever comes next.”

With so many responsibilities competing for her time, Hons had to get creative in her goal to finish the degree she started.

“I learned to read discussion posts in parking lots and revise essays between my kids’ practices, trusting that those stolen pockets of time would eventually add up,” she said.

They did — and she finished her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English, graduating summa cum laude. She acknowledged there were many people in her corner, supporting her through the long days and nights of her journey, showing up when she needed them and providing encouragement along the way.

“Today is for you, my fellow graduates, and for the people who helped get you here,” Hons said. “We are here today because everyone in this room, and those watching (the livestream) from afar, has supported our educational goals and dreams.”

The national anthem at this ceremony was performed by Ty Christopher Petty ’26, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, on saxophone.

Celebrations Continue

The celebrations will continue later this month as thousands more graduates participate in SNHU’s virtual commencement ceremony on May 23. They will hear from student speaker Beverly D. Baker ’26, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology summa cum laude.

As every graduate this spring turns their tassel and receives their diploma, they join 324,000 other alumni that make up the SNHU community.

At the end of her commencement address, Ryerson asked everyone to recognize and remember the power of their education.

“It strengthens you. It strengthens families. It builds communities. It creates opportunities for generations to come,” she said. “So, as you cross the stage, know that you are not just earning a degree. You are opening doors. You are creating brand new possibilities. I know for certain the world needs your leadership, your creativity, your empathy and your courage.”

Rebecca LeBoeuf Blanchette '18 '22G is a writer at Southern New Hampshire University, where she fulfills her love of learning daily through conversations with professionals across a range of fields. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing at SNHU’s campus in Manchester, New Hampshire, and followed her love of storytelling into the online Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing at SNHU. Connect with her on LinkedIn.