MMC Sends Off the Class of 2026 at Historic Commencement

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Class of 2026 grads at MMC's May 22 Commencement

MMC celebrated its final graduating class at its 2026 commencement on May 22—a poignant moment for the graduates heading into the world and for the College itself as it completes its merger with Northeastern University.

The ceremony took place at the historic United Palace theater before nearly 1,700 family members and friends. (Watch the video!) It was the first of three MMC commencements this spring: On May 28, the College also conferred degrees on 30 students in its college programs at the Bedford Hills and Taconic correctional facilities in Bedford Hills, New York.

The Class of 2026 is the 77th class to graduate from MMC since the College’s first four-year bachelor’s degree class graduated in 1950. It is also the final class to graduate under the College’s existing charter, as its planned merger with Northeastern is expected to be completed this summer.

Speakers touched on the day’s historic significance throughout the ceremony. At the start of the commencement program, Board of Trustees member Lisa Tachick Hooper ’95 told grads that “while change is a part of every enduring story, what defines us as Marymount Manhattan—our spirit, our mission, and the community that shaped each of us—will not fade. It will continue through you in the way you lead, create, question, and care for others.”

Wherever the graduates’ path may lead, she added, “know that you carry this community with you, and you in turn will always remain a part of it.”

Addressing the audience on behalf of her peers, class speaker Sofia Storey ’26 noted that the Class of 2026 had come of age amid extraordinary change, completing their final years of high school during the COVID-19 pandemic and their final years of college as MMC began the merger process.

Yet amid that shifting landscape, the Class of 2026 thrived. Nearly half of its more than 300 graduates earned honors, and the class produced MMC’s largest group of co-valedictorians, with six students achieving perfect 4.0 GPAs: Gabriel Abraham ’26, Marcella Antiko ’26, Sara Hansen ’26, Mary McElroy ’26, Eric Rodrigues ’26, and Elise Smith ’26.

Storey also reflected on how the Class of 2026 might uphold MMC’s legacy. Quoting a professor whose words had left a lasting impression on her, she asked graduates, “What do we want people to remember and what values must we lead with in order to ensure that no matter what 71st Street looks like 20 years from now, there’s still a beating heartbeat to the name [Marymount Manhattan]? This moment is more than an opportunity. It is a responsibility.”

Interim President Peter Naccarato also reflected on the ideas of history and legacy, themes he said had shaped many of his remarks about the merger since it was announced in 2024. MMC, he noted, has a rich history worth celebrating—from its founding by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary as a two-year Catholic women’s college to its evolution into an independent institution serving students of all faiths, genders, and identities, and from a curriculum that once included Home Economics and a course called Hostess Problems to nationally recognized performing arts programs and a contemporary liberal arts education. Yet, he added, history alone is not enough.

“If history is about the past, legacy is about the future,” he said, adding that the process of building a legacy is not truly complete until your influence shapes the lives of others and how they act in the world.

For the graduates, he said that means “the legacy of Marymount Manhattan College is not a monument to the past and it is not confined within a building on 71st Street. MMC’s legacy lives in the hearts and the souls of the countless individuals who have come through that building and whose lives have been enriched by the experiences we have had there. In this way, each of us has a role in shaping MMC’s legacy long into the future.”

In addition to conferring degrees to Class of 2026 grads—and acknowledging the official “graduation” of beloved mascot Griffy, who made their debut at MMC in 2017—the College bestowed two honorary degrees to members of the community who’ve touched lives on 71st Street and beyond.

MMC awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to alumna Hope Knight ’85, president, CEO, and commissioner of Empire State Development, New York’s primary economic development agency. The first African American to lead the organization, Knight was appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2021 and has since helped advance some of the state’s most significant economic initiatives, including Micron’s historic $100 billion investment in a semiconductor manufacturing campus in Central New York. She was also instrumental in the creation of the Office of Strategic Workforce Development, helping remove barriers to employment by addressing challenges such as childcare.

Knight’s connection to MMC runs deep: In addition to being a devoted alum, she was an adjunct Business professor; served four terms on the Board of Trustees, including as chairperson; and was an MMC parent, with her son graduating in 2025.

She offered reassurance to the graduates as they prepare for their next steps and accept their first real-world jobs, telling them that “there is no perfect pathway to find your purpose and passion

“Where you start your career is not where you finish. You don’t have to have everything figured out today, despite what you may see or hear even among your peers,” she said. “Few people do, especially at this point in your life. Some of you are starting this new phase with a clear plan, and others are not sure. But both pathways are valid. What matters most is you are willing to learn, adapt, be flexible, and pivot when necessary.

She urged grads to “Go out into the world and put what you learned into practice. Own your own voice. Take up space, so others know you are there and want to hear what you have to say. Take your seat at the table, and as Shirley Chisholm said, if they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

The College also bestowed a posthumous honorary degree on beloved Theatre professor J. William Bordeau, who passed away in 2009. Bordeau joined MMC’s faculty in 1968, teaching Acting, Directing, and Communication Arts, and played a pivotal role in establishing the College’s BFA programs in Acting and Dance. In the 1970s, he served as a design consultant for the Theresa Lang Theatre and oversaw the creation of MMC’s Black Box Theatre, which was later renamed in his honor.

Former trustee and BFA Acting alumnus Edward Van Saders ’95, who helped establish the J. William Bordeau Scholarship Fund and rename the Black Box Theatre, described Bordeau as “one of the central architects of Marymount’s extraordinary liberal arts traditions.”

Noting that Bordeau’s most enduring influence has been his exceptional commitment to MMC students, Van Saders shared how his late mentor and friend altered the trajectory of his own life. After being accepted into MMC’s Acting program, Van Saders was forced to decline the offer of admission due to financial circumstances. But “Bill advocated tirelessly on my behalf and ultimately secured my place in the freshman class of 1991. And with that single act, my life changed forever.”

“It did not take long for me to realize that while my experience with Bill felt deeply personal, it was far from unique,” Van Saders said. “It was special certainly, but it was also the gift he gave so freely to countless students through his steadfast devotion to young people and to the institution he loved so dearly. … At this important moment in Marymount’s continuing evolution to become a fully realized part of Northeastern, I can think of no more fitting tribute than to honor someone who consistently championed the future and the people who would shape it.”

View photos from the ceremony in the gallery below.