Fitchburg State University held its 130th commencement exercises on Saturday, May 16, celebrating nearly 800 graduate and undergraduate students who completed their degrees. (View photos from the Undergraduate and Graduate ceremony on the Burg Blog).
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll delivered the commencement address at the undergraduate ceremony.
Driscoll, sworn in alongside Governor Maura Healey in 2023, is part of the historic, first-ever all-women executive team to lead the state. In her address, Driscoll urged the Class of 2026 to view their degrees as a testament to their resilience and a gateway to civic leadership within the Commonwealth.
Drawing on her own history as a first-generation college student and a graduate of the public higher education system, Driscoll emphasized that while the graduates enter a world marked by uncertainty and division, they are uniquely prepared to meet these challenges through intentional action and public service.
She highlighted the diversity of the cohort, which includes 277 first-generation students representing 26 states and four countries, as a vital source of talent that Massachusetts needs to drive future innovation and community growth. Driscoll challenged the new alumni to transform their passion for their communities into tangible contributions that will shape the next chapter of the state’s history.
"Democracy only works when good people step forward; when thoughtful people choose participation over cynicism; when talented people like all of you decide your communities are worth investing in,” said Driscoll. “That’s why Massachusetts needs you.
“We want you to stay here, to build your careers here, to raise families here, to help us continue making this the best place to live, work, go to school, innovate, and grow older,” said Driscoll. “Because when I look out at this graduating class, I see exactly why I remain optimistic about our future. I see intelligence, compassion, determination, resilience. I see a generation that is far more prepared to lead than it often gets credit for. So today, celebrate yourselves and be proud of what you have achieved.”
In her address to the graduates, Fitchburg State President Donna Hodge described the journey to commencement as a "transformation" of the self. She noted that the day represented more than a collection of courses, it was a celebration of the resilience and intellectual growth that defined the Class of 2026.
Acknowledging the diverse paths taken by the graduates—including veterans, parents, and first-generation students—Hodge praised their decision to choose "innovation over stagnation" and "community over isolation" during a period of national complexity for higher education.
She highlighted student leaders – Michael Burns, Julia Arena, Matt Gill, Geybrell Liriano and the recipient of the 2026 Robert V. and Jeanne S. Antonucci Award Charlie Stevenson – as embodiments of the university’s mission, emphasizing that Fitchburg State’s strength lies in its commitment to providing elite opportunities and accessible excellence.
Hodge charged the new alumni to move beyond their credentials and utilize their sharpened discernment to lead with ethics and humanity in a world often distracted by division and simplicity.
"A university education shouldn’t simply prepare you to make a living,” said Hodge. “It should prepare you to live thoughtfully, ethically, and responsibly. It should teach you how to ask better questions, how to discern truth from noise, and how to remain intellectually curious long after the final exam has ended.
"The world doesn’t merely need more credentials,” said Hodge. “It needs more people willing to think carefully, lead courageously, serve generously, and remain human in a culture increasingly tempted by division, speed, outrage, and simplicity."
The President later added that the world doesn’t need perfect people.
“It needs engaged people, thoughtful people, ethical people and hopeful people,” said Hodge. “It needs people like you.”
Stevenson, a resident of Rutland and a veteran of the Army Reserve, had the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating senior at the university with the Antonucci Award.
Reflecting on a journey that spanned nearly 30 years since his initial degree, Stevenson addressed the graduates with a tribute to the power of community and the "ancient technology" of human connection.
Drawing inspiration from the resilient saxifrage flower on the university seal and the humble dandelion, Stevenson urged his fellow graduates to embrace their intrinsic capacity for empathy and inquisitiveness as they navigate a rapidly changing technological landscape.
He emphasized that the true value of their education lay not just in their academic achievements, but in the ways they showed up for one another.
"The future may seem like a landscape we don’t recognize, governed by logic that feels unfamiliar to us,” said Stevenson, a dual major in Computer Science and Mathematics, with a specialized concentration in Cybersecurity. “But while the world is always changing, the precedent for being human has never been more stable."
Stevenson concluded by encouraging the graduates to spread into their communities like dandelion seeds, "maximizing our potential, breaking down obstacles, spreading far and wide into our communities, and enriching the world."
Stevenson received the first diploma of the celebration.
In addition to the undergraduate ceremony, the university also held a ceremony to confer graduate degrees in the morning on Saturday, May 16.
Jossara Dos Santos Dias of Boston, who earned her Master of Education in Educational Leadership, received the Graduate Student Leadership Award and addressed her fellow graduates and guests at the graduate ceremony.
Since 2022, Dias has served as the STEM Education Senior Coordinator at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where she utilizes her expertise and bilingualism to mentor aspiring biotech professionals and advocate for students facing language barriers.
Dias has a holistic commitment to leadership that extends far beyond the classroom, effectively strengthening both her community and the next generation of leaders.
Dias delivered a stirring call to action that celebrated the profound transformation of a cohort defined by its ability to balance professional, personal, and academic demands. Her remarks highlighted the grit forged through life’s unpredictable challenges and the necessity of maintaining one’s passion as a "guiding light" amidst the pursuit of success.
Dias urged her fellow graduates to carry forward a spirit of lifelong curiosity and to lead their communities with integrity and empathy, noting that their degrees serve as a testament to their discipline and purpose.
Dias reflected on the resilience that defined their collective journeys.
“We learned what it means to be resilient, not the kind that appears perfect or polished, but the kind that emerges when life does not go as planned, the kind that says, ‘try again’ in the face of rejection, exhaustion, or self-doubt,” said Dias.
In her closing remarks, Dias captured the triumphant spirit of the day.
"Congratulations, Class of 2026,” said Dias. “We didn’t just make it; we transformed along the way."