Recap: Commencement Weekend 2026
5/27/2026
Relive All the Celebrations With the Class of 2026!
You did it, Class of 2026!
From all of us at the Right Place on the River: we’re so proud of your accomplishments and can’t wait to follow along as you launch your careers and continue to live out the UMSV mission in all you say and do.
Commencement Weekend 2026 was certainly one for the books, and we’re grateful to all who celebrated with us from May 14-16.
We kicked off the Weekend’s events on Thursday afternoon with our Final Bow Senior Champagne Toast, hosted by the Office of Alumnae/i Relations and Giving. Despite less-than-ideal weather, members of the Class of 2026 gathered in the President’s Reception Room to toast to their four years at the Mount—hearing from classmates, staff members, and Alumnae/i Associate Executive Board President Scott Siegel ’08. With glasses raised (and cupcakes in hand!), our soon-to-be grads reminisced on their educational journeys and said ‘cheers’ to the years ahead.
The celebrations continued on Friday afternoon as graduates from the Undergraduate College and Seton College gathered for a rehearsal and to share one final meal together during President Susan R. Burns, PhD’s Farewell BBQ on Grace Plaza.
Then, later that evening, family and friends gathered in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception to watch as those nearly 300 candidates for undergraduate degrees lined the center aisle of the Chapel and received their academic hoods. Following the Hooding Ceremony, the annual Commencement Mass was celebrated by Archdiocese of New York Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat, who has become a good friend of the Mount in recent years. Music from our Roosevelt Opus IV organ rang out and members of the UMSV Community Choir sang joyfully as our graduates gathered for the last time for Mass in the Chapel.
Then, after a brief intermission, graduates receiving academic awards and honors gathered with their families—and members of our faculty and administration—for the Honors Convocation. Here, each academic department presented their medals and awards. Students graduating from the Honors Program and Seton Service and Leadership Program were also recognized, as well as those students graduating with academic honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude). The ceremony concluded with recognition of all the students who have been inducted into national honor societies.
After a night of sleep (or maybe lack thereof for our excited graduates!), the big day was finally here: our 114th Commencement Ceremonies!
Gathering bright and early at 9 AM were the students graduating from the College of Professional and Graduate Studies. With a growing number of professional and graduate students—including those graduating from the Physician Assistant Program, Accelerated Nursing Program, and our various online master’s and professional degree programs—the ceremony was the first of the day held under the white tent on the campus’ Great Lawn.
Over 700 graduates received their academic hoods and degrees—a record-breaking number of professional and graduate alums. Although humid, it was a beautiful and celebratory morning along the Hudson—and a great way to kick-off the day!
After a brief intermission, campus quieted and then began to be filled again as the afternoon’s spotlight turned to students graduating with undergraduate degrees. In addition to members of the Undergraduate College and our Bridge Program, we marked the first graduating cohort of Seton College—a remarkable milestone!
At precisely 2 PM, our graduates marched down the hill and descended the Centennial Steps and were greeted with resounding cheers and applause as they entered the tent to Pomp and Circumstance.
Tangible excitement could be felt in the air, and President Burns shared some words of wisdom with our students in her welcome address:
“Grounded in the liberal arts and Catholic intellectual traditions, your education challenged you not only to gain expertise in your chosen fields, but also to understand people, complexity, justice, and the common good. You learned that faith and reason belong in conversation with one another. You learned that authentic inclusivity begins with recognizing the dignity of every person. You learned that solving complex problems requires both intellectual rigor and empathy. Whether you studied nursing, psychology, education, business, communication, science, the arts, or another field entirely, your education prepared you to do more than perform a job. It prepared you to navigate complexity with wisdom and integrity. And that matters.”
Our 2026 Commencement Speaker was one of the Mount’s very own: our Campus Chaplain and Seton College Professor Fr. Bill Cain, SJ. A Jesuit priest, educator, and award-winning writer and producer, Fr. Cain has spent his life at the intersection of faith, storytelling, and social justice. Throughout his remarks, he evoked a profound understanding of the UMSV mission and a deep connection to our students, particularly those whose educational journeys reflect resilience, promise, and possibility.
“If you have been educated at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, then built into the DNA of your education is newness, boldness, and brilliance, because UMSV was made by some remarkable people—the Sisters of Charity,” Fr. Bill shared. “Trust your own greatness. Your uniqueness. Your incredible beauty. It’s hard to see your own greatness like I see it. The Sisters, for example, think their order is coming to an end when it’s really only beginning—and you are the beginning of something new that they have made.”
Following Fr. Bill’s remarks, our graduates were called to cross the stage to receive their diplomas—beginning with the students graduating from our Bridge Program and concluding with our candidates for baccalaureate degrees. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Commencement at the Mount without an official welcome into the Alumnae/i Association from a member of the Alumnae/i Executive Board and the singing of our alma mater, The White and the Gold!
We hope our graduates take some time to rest and reflect on all they’ve accomplished. Class of 2026, it’s time to take all you’ve learned and go out into the world to live our motto of extending goodness, discipline, and knowledge everywhere you go.
Just remember that even though Commencement Weekend has come and gone, the celebrations don’t stop here—there’s always a reason to cheer for the white and the gold!
Missed out on this year’s events? Or do you want to relive the moment you (or your friend or family member!) walked across the stage?
Then look no further!
We’ve got you covered—check out photos and livestream recordings from the University of Mount Saint Vincent’s 114th Commencement Weekend below.
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Final Bow Champagne Toast
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Commencement Mass and Hooding Ceremony
View Photos | Rewatch the Livestream
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Honors Convocation and Awards Ceremony
View Photos | Rewatch the Livestream
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College of Professional and Graduate Studies Commencement Ceremony
View Photos | Rewatch the Livestream
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Undergraduate College and Seton College Commencement Ceremony
View Photos | Rewatch the Livestream
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers a nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the University equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment, and leadership in the 21st century.