The sun shone down on nearly 3,700 members of the University of Vermont’s Class of 2026 and thousands of their family and friends as UVM celebrated its 225th Commencement Ceremony on the historic University Green in Burlington on Saturday, May 16.
Students from UVM’s eight colleges and schools processed into the Green through overflow cheering crowds of well-wishers under a bluebird spring sky for the event that recognized the outcome of years of study and accomplishment, at which academic degrees were formally conferred, turning them all in an instant from students to alumni.
“Commencement is both a celebration and a beginning,” said UVM Board of Trustees President Cynthia Barnhart, in her opening greeting to the crowd. “It reflects not only what you have accomplished, but who you have become along the way.”
Outgoing Student government Association Vice President Merrick Modun then urged his classmates to keep the sense of caring he said he felt consistently from his fellow Catamounts. “In a world that can reward cynicism, we kept caring," Modun said. “In a world that can make exhaustion feel normal, we kept showing up. And in a world that can make everyone feel replaceable, we built friendships, communities, organizations, projects, and lives that could not have existed without us."
The value of a caring community was a large focus of special guest speaker Ben Ogden, a recent Olympic medalist and UVM alumnus from the Class of 2022. Ogden was introduced by UVM Provost and former Dean of the College of Engineering and Mathematics Linda Schadler, who had served as Ogden’s adviser during his years as a mechanical engineering major.
“Ben stood out not only for his determination in athletics as a member of UVM’s ski team, but also for his persistence in the classroom,” Schadler said. “He asked only for the flexibility that was absolutely necessary. He never expected special treatment, and he never projected an air of entitlement. Instead, he was responsible, humble, and obviously grateful for the support he received from his faculty members.”
That humility and sense of gratitude was evident in Ogden’s address to the graduates. A double silver medalist at this winter’s Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina, Ogden was the first American male in 50 years to medal in cross-country skiing, and the winner of the most medals ever by an American cross-country skier. Ogden told the graduates that his success this winter was “the direct result of the power of goal setting and the relentless pursuit of those goals.” But he also noted the key ingredient of community.
“The people around me have been the single most important factor of my career to date,” Ogden said. “My teammates and I push each other to be better every day in training, my coaches challenge me to be a smarter and more thoughtful athlete, and my competitors teach me how to win with humility and lose with grace… To all you graduates, my advice as you go forth to the next adventure is to set your own goals and invest in your communities. People will try and tell you what success looks like, and I urge you to challenge them and only live by your own definition.”
UVM President Marlene Tromp, in her commencement address, built on that theme to remind the graduates of the value of their singularity. “There is quite literally no one in the world who has precisely the experiences and gifts that you have,” she said. “Imagine, pairing your singularity with the exceptional education you’ve received, the strength you’ve developed from the challenges you’ve faced: you are on the path to an extraordinary destiny. You will be unstoppable.”
“You can take your unique knowledge and talents, that combination of qualities that only you can bring, and make your extraordinary destiny,” Tromp said.
She acknowledged that facing the life after graduation can be daunting, but spoke about the true nature of courage. “Remember, graduates… courage isn’t being unafraid, it is moving ahead, even when you are facing a wall of fear,” she said. “Be bold and move forward.”
In addition to the undergraduates at Saturday morning’s ceremony, Dr. Tromp will also confer degrees this weekend on masters and doctoral degree holders at the UVM Graduate College Commencement Ceremony, Saturday evening at Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction; on Sunday, May 17, she will confer Doctor of Medicine degrees on the Larner College of Medicine Class of 2026 at Ira Allen Chapel. Larner ceremony attendees will hear a commencement address from Lewis First, M.D., who has served UVM for more than three decades as chair of pediatrics–the longest-serving pediatric chair in the nation.
The university named two new recipients of the University Distinguished Professor Award at the ceremony–the highest academic honor that UVM bestows upon members of the faculty. Joining the 14 previous current awardees this year are Professor Paul Bierman of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, and Professor Alan Steinweiss, Professor of history and the Raul Hilberg Distinguished Professor of Holocaust Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The university conferred Outstanding Student Leader Awards upon six members of the Class of 2026, all of whom were nominated by fellow members of the campus community, including students, faculty, and staff, for their leadership, scholarship, and service to the University. The 2026 awardees were:
• Nadiya Becoats, who won the Keith M. Miser Leadership Award.
• Momo Alexander, who won the Class of 1967 Award
• Alisson Fernandez Tuiro, who won the The F.T. Kidder Medal
• Avinado Poddar, who won the Elmer Nicholson Achievement Prize
• Lillian Mae Olsen, who won the Katherine Anne Kelly Award
• Wubet Jean-Baptiste, who won the Mary Jean Simpson Award