Pomona College’s Commencement ceremony May 17 capped off a weekend of celebrations and sent the Class of 2026 off with a charge from President G. Gabrielle Starr to “go forth from this stellar garden of Pomona College, believing in your power to make this world shine bright.”
The ceremony, the College’s 133rd, saw 402 students cross the stage on Marston Quad and receive their diplomas. Three distinguished speakers received honorary degrees and addressed the graduating class, along with Senior Class President Marilyne Makendi ’26 and Senior Class Speaker Lexi Duffy ’26.
“The ceremony embodied the spirit of Pomona and reiterated that we have developed the skills to help the world,” says Amanda Macias Schreiber ’26, a public policy analysis major from Austin, Texas, who will work as a legal assistant at an immigration law firm in Los Angeles starting next month. “The community is what makes Pomona special and is made up of people who prioritize helping others.”
Honorary Degree Recipients Urge Service
Goodwin Liu, an associate justice of the California Supreme Court, began by asking the members of the graduating class to turn around and thank “every person who loved you and sacrificed so you could be sitting in that chair today.”
Liu shared that his parents’ migration from Taiwan to the United States made it possible “in a single generation for a child of immigrants not only to enjoy those freedoms and opportunities but also to hold an office that protects them for others.”
“You can do the same, with the friends and foundation you gained here,” he said. “You have everything it takes to succeed and lead in a messy, uncertain future.”
Jane Olson, a humanitarian and journalist, shared, “By honoring me, you are honoring the profession of volunteerism.” She exhorted the graduating class to practice kindness, especially through listening to others.
Daniel Ziblatt ’95, Eaton Professor of Government at Harvard University and author of the bestselling books How Democracies Die and The Tyranny of the Minority, explained that “democracy is not self-sustaining” and called on listeners to do their part to protect it.
“Whatever path you take from here, you will—justifiably, understandably—often measure your life by what you achieve for yourself: career, recognition, success,” said Ziblatt. “But do not let it be the whole measure because democracy is not defended by private success. … Always remember to look up and ask yourself, ‘What kind of society do I want to live in?’ And, then, work to achieve it.”
Celebration and Reflection Follow on the Quad
After the recessional, the graduates were greeted by family members, loved ones and professors at a reception on the quad. Student volunteers were on site to facilitate a “zero waste” event consisting of, among other initiatives, reusable cups and compost and recycling bins.
Proud family members trailed their graduates while reflecting on the ceremony.
“I thought today’s commencement was absolutely wonderful,” said Mary Barker, sister of Luke Bohn ’26, a chemistry major from Chattanooga, Tennessee. “The speakers were incredible and so inspiring, and I left feeling a renewed commitment to public service and what I do in my work in trying to make the world a better place.”
Isaiah Dawson ’26, a mathematics major from Oxford, Georgia, lingered on the quad, along with many classmates and family members, well after the end of the ceremony. In August, he will begin a position as a software engineer at Mastercard in Atlanta.
“Commencement has been extremely bittersweet,” he said. “It’s been beautiful to see all the grads, but it’s also really sad to see all of the friends that I’ve made about to go off on their next journeys, and I’m also immensely proud of them. Having the space to see all of my friends on one lawn like this with their families is powerful, and I’m very grateful.”
Watch the full commencement ceremony and view the photo gallery.