Speaking Up

The Class of 2026 celebrates. (Photo by Chris Kitchen)

The Class of 2026 celebrates. (Photo by Chris Kitchen)

President La Jerne Terry Cornish congratulates graduates with her signature fist-bump. (Photo by Chris Kitchen)

President La Jerne Terry Cornish congratulates graduates with her signature fist-bump. (Photo by Chris Kitchen)

Ithaca College celebrated the Class of 2026 during its 131st Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 17, closing a year shaped by campus-wide conversations about dialogue, uncertainty, and resilience.

Opening the morning was a fanfare performance of "Hate Will Not Make Us Great," composed by Ithaca College student Morgan Linn '27 and performed by students from the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, followed by performances of the national anthem and alma mater by the Ithaca College Choir.

The ceremony honored some 1,000 undergraduate degree candidates across Ithaca College's five schools, with speakers reflecting on uncertainty, adaptability, and the importance of engaging thoughtfully with others in a rapidly changing world.

For President La Jerne Terry Cornish, the ceremony also marked a shared milestone with the graduating class. The Class of 2026 was the first to spend all four years at Ithaca College during her presidency.

"Over these past four years, we have grown alongside one another through moments of challenge, celebration, discovery, and transformation," Cornish said during her remarks. "And just as Ithaca College has helped shape your lives, your class has helped shape this institution during an important chapter in its history."

Throughout the academic year, Ithaca College's campus focused on the theme of dialogue, encouraging students to engage across perspectives and confront difficult questions with openness and empathy.

Cornish connected that theme to this year's Commencement medallion quotation from writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin: "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced."

Cornish framed Baldwin's words as a call to action. "Change demands that we face challenges rather than avoid them, that we confront injustice rather than ignore it, and that we engage others with humanity and compassion, even when it is difficult," Cornish said.

Dialogue only works when someone has the courage to speak and when someone else has the kindness to listen."

Student Commencement speaker Lili Chalfant '26, a Writing for Film, Television, and Emerging Media major. (Photo by Chris Kitchen)

For Chalfant, those ideas were deeply personal long before they became the focus of a campus-wide theme.

When selecting the student speaker, the committee sought a message that would resonate across experiences-something meaningful, memorable, heartfelt, and hopeful. They wanted a speech that balanced emotion with humor and left graduates carrying something with them into the future. Chalfant delivered exactly that.

Speaking with warmth, poise, and endearing confidence, she encouraged her classmates to recognize the power of speaking honestly and listening generously. She urged them to treasure moments of connection and to understand how life-changing dialogue can be.

She reflected on uncertainty, change, and the moments of connection that shape who we become. Drawing from one of her favorite childhood films, Kung Fu Panda , she shared a lesson that stayed with her: "To make something special, you just have to believe it's special."

It was a fitting reflection for a graduating class preparing to enter an increasingly complex and unpredictable world. Chalfant reminded her classmates that life rarely unfolds like the carefully scripted stories seen in movies. Real meaning, she said, often comes from "the moments we really didn't think would matter, until they were the only ones that did."

Through her story, Chalfant reminded the audience that dialogue is not simply conversation; it is an act of courage and humanity. It is how we understand one another, how we create belonging, and how we move forward together.

"Dialogue only works when someone has the courage to speak," she said, "and when someone else has the kindness to listen."

The Class of 2026 celebrated lakeside at the Ithaca Farmers Market. (Photo by Robert Daniels '27)

In the days leading up to Sunday's Commencement ceremony, the Class of 2026 marked the close of their undergraduate experience through a series of traditions, performances, and celebrations across South Hill and throughout Ithaca.

Senior Week events included a lakeside evening at the Ithaca Farmers Market, Senior Formal at Ithaca Beer Co., and Senior Splash, where graduating students lined up across the Campus Center Quad before rushing into the Dillingham fountains for one of IC's most recognizable end-of-year traditions.

On Saturday afternoon, graduate students were recognized during Ithaca College's Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony, which honored candidates receiving doctoral degrees in physical therapy and master's degrees in athletic training, exercise and sport sciences, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, accounting, entertainment and media management, and education.

Saturday also included the Campus Life Awards, which recognize graduating seniors for outstanding contributions to the Ithaca College community through campus involvement and demonstrated leadership.

Saturday night's Commencement Eve Concert, themed "Together We Rise," brought students, families, alumni, and community members together in Glazer Arena for one of Ithaca College's signature Commencement traditions. Directed by Mike Titlebaum, the production transformed the arena into a three-stage showcase of musical and technical artistry, with the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra at center, the Ithaca College Choir on stage left, and the Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble on stage right.

Through seamless transitions of music, lighting, and staging, the ensembles moved fluidly from performance to performance-sometimes independently, sometimes together-with lights fading on one ensemble and rising immediately on the next. Highlights included "Rainbow Connection," featuring all three ensembles and vocalist Noah Schuster '26; Clarinet Concerto No. 1, "A Fourth Place," composed by John Oliver '25 and featuring an agile performance by clarinetist Grace Gonoud '26; and a rousing "Ithaca Forever," which brought all three ensembles together before the evening concluded with a fireworks display.

Keynote speaker Ana Wilkowski '95. (Photo by Chris Kitchen)

Commencement keynote speaker Ana Wilkowski, a 1995 graduate of Ithaca College's School of Business, framed her remarks around adaptability, uncertainty, and the willingness to take risks.

Wilkowski, who came to Ithaca College from Mexico through the Institute of International Education, recalled arriving in the United States as a student navigating a new culture, language, and environment. When she expressed hesitation about leaving home, she said, her father responded with a simple challenge: "Why not?"

"I didn't realize it at the time, but he was encouraging me to take a leap into the unknown, to embrace uncertainty, and to get comfortable being uncomfortable," she said.

After graduating from Ithaca College, Wilkowski built a career in finance on Wall Street, holding leadership positions at J.P. Morgan before helping launch and grow Performance Optimal Health with her husband, fellow alumnus Todd Wilkowski '93.

She told graduates that every generation faces technological and cultural disruption. In the 1990s, she said, conversations centered on the rise of the internet. Today, the focus is artificial intelligence.

"But just as we adjusted, you will too," she said. "You will adapt. You will learn to live with it and to embrace it."

Wilkowski also reflected on how her Ithaca College education prepared her for a changing world.

"The ability to communicate clearly and connect with others will always matter," she said.

Her remarks blended humor and reflection, including memories of 1990s campus life, when Ithaca's student-run radio station, WICB, played artists like the Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and her personal favorite, R.E.M.

Closing her speech, Wilkowski returned to her father's advice.

"So, leap into the unknown," she told graduates. "And when you're faced with self-doubt or fear, ask yourself, 'Why not?'"

Families and loved ones of the graduates enjoy Commencement. (Photo by Chris Kitchen)

Before the graduating class processed into the arena, family members and friends filled the stands, waiting for the ceremony to begin. They were the people who helped students navigate the challenges and milestones of college life-from move-in day through Commencement weekend-with encouragement, advice, care packages, and home-cooked meals during visits home.

We spoke with several of the loved ones gathered in Glazer Arena about what it meant to witness this milestone and celebrate the accomplishments of the graduates in their lives.

Johnathan Baker - Celebrating his son, Finance major Samuel Baker '26

"It's been the best four years ever; he's had the time of his life here. It's the end of a journey, so it's also bittersweet. But the decision to come here has been the best decision of his life. I don't know how this college does it, but it strengthens their students' character, and the experiences they have. Four years ago, we dropped a young kid off at the freshman dorms, and today we're here celebrating a young man."

Rose Wallace - Mother of Athletic Training major Anthony Wallace '26 (they/them).

"I couldn't be prouder of Anthony. What a day to celebrate all of their accomplishments. Anthony loved the community, the faculty, the academics, the friendships, and the challenge they found at Ithaca. And hey, we may be doing this again when Anthony gets their master's degree.

Brenda Redding - Celebrating her granddaughter, Politics major Madalyn Grace Redding '26.

Brenda: "She's loved the campus from the time she set foot on it. When we first got here, she looked around and said 'This is me.' And we couldn't be prouder."

Rob Engelsman '11, president of Ithaca College Alumni Council. (Photo by Chris Kitchen)

Board of Trustees Chair John Neeson '84 emphasized the wide range of paths taken by Ithaca College graduates, from the arts and media to business, healthcare, and the sciences.

"What unites these diverse paths is a shared foundation grounded in creativity, curiosity, and purpose," Neeson said.

Later in the ceremony, Ithaca College Alumni Council President Rob Engelsman '11 reflected on a rite of passage familiar to many students: attempting the steep walk back up South Hill from downtown Ithaca for the first time.

Engelsman used the climb as a metaphor for life after graduation-challenging at first, but easier with experience, support, and community.

"There are over 70,000 alumni of Ithaca College that have made the walk uphill you're about to make," Engelsman said.

"Our alumni community is full of doers, makers, performers, teachers, and entrepreneurs that are here to help, mentor, and guide you," he added. "Walking uphill is better with friends."

Cue the confetti, and congratulations, Class of 2026! (Photo by Chris Kitchen)

During the ceremony, Ithaca College awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to Frank Kruppa in recognition of his leadership in public health and service to the local community.

In her remarks, Cornish praised Kruppa's guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting his role as Tompkins County Health Commissioner in bringing together healthcare leaders, educators, institutions, and community members during an extraordinarily uncertain period.

"During a time marked by uncertainty and fear, Frank helped bring institutions, healthcare leaders, educators, and community members together through thoughtful collaboration and dialogue," Cornish said.

The college also recognized theatrical producer, director, Playwrights Horizons founder, and educator Robert Moss with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree during a Commencement Eve celebration held the night before the ceremony.

Throughout Commencement, moments of reflection gave way to celebration as graduates crossed the stage and were greeted by Cornish's signature fist bump-and unmistakably personal gesture amid one of the biggest moments of their college experience.

Years before addressing Ithaca College's graduating class, Chalfant learned that speaking openly about something difficult could transform not only how others saw her, but how she saw herself.

In a world that can feel fractured, fast-moving, and uncertain, Ithaca College's Class of 2026 leaves with more than degrees. They leave with the ability to listen deeply, speak courageously, think critically, and connect meaningfully with others-skills that matter now more than ever.

As the graduates step into the future, her message remains clear: meaning is found not in perfection or certainty, but in the courage to connect.

In many ways, her journey reflected the words engraved on the medallions worn by every graduate that morning: "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced."