Congratulations to the class of 2026!

I am immensely proud of you. You have immersed yourselves in this community, mastered concepts, developed skills, built lifelong friendships, created memories that will forever make you smile, and you are ready to begin your adult life. I remember being in your seat many years ago now. And while there are many differences, some things are very much the same.

 

I entered college at the dawn of the personal computer and a new communication form that would transform school and work—email. You are entering college in the age of AI, when the landscape for work and school is changing dramatically. And while I know change creates uncertainty, there are certain truths about humanity and what will remain constant that I am eager to remind you of.

What you learned here at St. Margaret's is very transferable to your next location because our mission calls us to think beyond your experience here on campus and guides us to prepare both your heart and mind for lives of learning, leadership and service, and I’m so excited that you get to take so much with you.

Today, I want to talk to you about something I know you all value deeply, our core value of community.  In all of our surveys, whether it be alumni, parents, our professional community or you, community is the word that always rises to the top.  It is what draws people to us and keeps them connected for life. But what is community and why do we care so much about it?

 

A community is a group of individuals linked by social ties, shared interests, geographic location, or common values. It functions as a cohesive social unit, providing its members with a sense of identity, mutual support, and belonging.

 

For many of you, you have been Tartans since before you can remember and it was your parents who chose for you to be a part of this place. For others, you chose this place and you were attracted to the unique sense of community at St. Margaret's. I have heard people say, people come to St. Margaret's because of the strong academic program and they stay because of the community.

 

You have learned that the more you give to this community—the more you get back. The more you allow yourself to love, to lean in and to become connected—or even vulnerable—the more supporters you will have, reveling in your every success.

 

I want to share something that I didn’t learn until I was immersed in my doctoral program. Part of the research process is choosing a topic so important and interesting that you want to write a whole book about it. I was really interested in what skills, traits, and abilities lead to successful life outcomes.

 

In my mind I had an equation – if I selected the right traits and abilities and added them together, they together would equal successful life outcomes. I was so focused on the first part of the equation—I wanted to study conscientiousness, resilience, intelligence, and creativity as elements of successful human attributes—but where I got stuck was the endpoint of my equation. What do I mean by “successful life outcomes”?

 

I researched the available literature, and most of what I found defined success by career outcomes, but that didn’t seem like enough to me. I wanted to know about the people who feel satisfied in their lives, people who have purpose and meaning. And it turns out there is a psychometric measurement called “satisfaction with life,” and that was what I chose, in part, to define successful life outcomes.

 

That research has sent me on a lifelong quest. And while you may wonder, “What is the secret to a satisfying life?” I can tell you with great certainty that a big part of the equation is deep and meaningful relationships with other people – frequently found in community.

 

So today, as you stand on the edge of your next chapter, I want to leave you with some tips for building those meaningful relationships—habits that will serve you in college, at work, and far beyond – some of which I am certain you already know and I’m hopeful at least a few resonate with you.

First:

Second:

Third:

Fourth:

Fifth:

Sixth:

And Finally:

These habits are simple. They are also very hard. They require time when you’re busy, presence when you’re distracted, humility when you’d rather be right, and courage when it feels safer to stay on the sidelines. But they are worth it. The research tells us meaningful relationships improve health, extend longevity, buffer stress, and deepen our sense of purpose. Your own experience here tells you the same story: you thrived not only because of what you learned, but because of who learned alongside you.

 

And here is the paradox you already know from St. Margaret's: when you invest in others, you do better too. Doors open. Ideas sharpen. Opportunities multiply. Joy expands. Community is not extra; it is essential. In a world where AI drafts emails, solves problems, and optimizes processes, your enduring advantage—the distinctly human advantage—will be your capacity to understand, trust, encourage, and collaborate with other people. Machines can process information; only humans can offer presence. Machines can predict; only humans can belong.  Let “community” be a verb you practice, not a noun you remember.

 

Years from now, when accomplishments fill your résumé and milestones dot your timeline, what will matter most will look a lot like what mattered here: the friend who stood beside you when you stumbled, the mentor who told you the truth with kindness, the teammate who believed in you before you believed in yourself, the community that called you by name. 

 

One of the core memories I will always hold from your class was on your last day of school after the water balloons were nothing but broken bits of color in the courtyard and most of you had tears streaming down your faces, you were surrounded not only by your classmates, but students from every grade level.  In all my years here, I have never seen so many students from other classes join the graduating class in this moment.  It was clear to me that this class, unlike any other, knows how to create community, so please take that with you and pay it forward to your next destination. 

 

Class of 2026, you are ready. Ready to learn new skills, navigate new campuses, and meet new challenges. But most of all, you are ready to build the kinds of relationships that make a life successful AND deeply satisfying. Take what you have lived here and recreate it wherever you land. Be the reason a room feels safer, kinder, braver. Be the first hello and the last goodbye.

 

Go with courage. Go with gratitude. Go together.

 

Congratulations, Beloved Tartans.