Commencement Ceremony Highlights Academic Excellence, Service, and Transformational Leadership
Under sunny skies on Barbara Kares Page Terrace, Mary Baldwin University celebrated its 184th Commencement Ceremony on May 10, honoring graduates from across the university’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Family members, friends, faculty, staff, and alumni gathered on Mother’s Day morning to recognize the achievements of the Class of 2026 and celebrate the enduring traditions and evolving future of the university.
Presided over by President Todd Telemeco, the ceremony recognized graduates from the Betty Gold College of Arts and Sciences, the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, and the Susan Nolan Palmer College of Professional Studies.
A Ceremony Rooted in Tradition
University Chaplain Katie Low opened the ceremony with an invocation that reflected on the significance of Mother’s Day and honored Mary Baldwin alumna Anna Jarvis, founder of the national Mother’s Day observance.
The morning also included longstanding Commencement traditions such as the singing of the “Hymn for Mary Baldwin,” the ceremonial turning of tassels, and the recessional in which faculty paused along the steps to allow graduates to process ahead of them as a final gesture of honor. Families and graduates later gathered outside Fox Leadership Hall (Administration Building) to ring the university bell commemorating their graduation day.
Dr. Jim Lott Reflects on MBU’s Enduring Mission
A major highlight of the ceremony was the Commencement address delivered by Professor and Dean Emeritus James D. “Jim” Lott, who first joined Mary Baldwin’s faculty in 1964. Introduced as a mentor, scholar, trustee, donor, and advocate whose influence has shaped generations of students, Lott reflected on the university’s history of resilience and transformation across nearly two centuries.
In an address that blended institutional history, personal reflection, and a call to intellectual integrity, Lott emphasized the role of higher education in the pursuit of truth, community, and ethical leadership.
“This has been a challenging year for Mary Baldwin,” Lott told graduates, “but our history reveals many such challenges.” He traced the university’s evolution from Augusta Female Seminary in 1842 to the dynamic university it is today, highlighting the institution’s repeated ability to adapt while remaining grounded in its core values.
Lott also reflected on the importance of honesty, the Honor System, and the university’s responsibility to foster critical thinking and integrity in an increasingly divided world. He concluded by encouraging graduates to move forward with courage, integrity, and joy as they enter the next chapter of their lives.
Recognizing Leadership, Service, and Academic Achievement
The university also recognized outstanding service and achievement through the presentation of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards, among the institution’s most prestigious honors.
Above: Organ and Djuric receive the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards
Graduating senior Makai Organ received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Student Award for his leadership, mentorship, and commitment to service both on campus and throughout the Staunton and Harrisonburg communities. A social work major, Organ served as a teaching assistant, peer advisor, mentor, and contributor to Office of Inclusive Excellence programming, while also supporting local youth through community-based mentoring work.
The second Sullivan Award was presented to Brigadier General Terry Djuric, the retiring commandant of cadets for the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership and senior advisor to the president. A decorated Air Force veteran, Djuric was recognized for her transformational leadership, her mentorship of cadets, and her role in expanding VWIL’s national reputation and leadership initiatives. During the presentation, all VWIL and ROTC cadets in attendance were invited to stand at attention in recognition of Djuric’s impact on generations of student leaders.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul Deeble also recognized the recipients of the Martha Stackhouse Grafton Award, which honors graduating seniors with the highest grade point averages after at least three years as full-time Mary Baldwin students. This year’s recipients were graduates Leslie Tutwiler, Luis Iraheta, and Lauren Lasher.
The ceremony also included recognition of graduating military officers and service members, including eight graduates who will commission as military officers later this month.
Student Speaker’s Story of Perseverance
Student Commencement speaker Elise Marston ‘18, MEd ‘26 delivered a deeply personal address centered on perseverance, faith, and resilience. A first-generation college student from rural Virginia, Marston earned both a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in special education from Mary Baldwin while balancing motherhood, career changes, personal hardship, and graduate study.
Reflecting on unexpected turns in her life and career, Marston encouraged graduates to embrace uncertainty and trust in their ability to overcome challenges.
“My story is one of many uncomfortable changes, and unexpected paths,” she said, “but it is also filled with great love, amazing grace, endless mercy, and faith.”
“Go Change the Water”
Following the conferring of degrees, President Telemeco delivered a charge to the graduates focused on leadership, resilience, and the responsibility graduates now carry into the world. Drawing on the metaphor of carrots, eggs, and coffee beans reacting differently to boiling water, he encouraged graduates to become people who transform the environments around them rather than simply reacting to adversity.
As part of those remarks, the university introduced a new Commencement tradition: the presentation of challenge coins to every graduate. Each graduate received two coins — one to keep and one to give to someone who supported them throughout their educational journey. The coins featured the university seal and the Latin phrase Non pro tempore sed aeternitate — “Not for time, but for eternity” — alongside the ideals of “Enduring Light,” “Professional Excellence,” and “Inspired Leadership.”
Telemeco encouraged graduates to carry those ideals forward as they enter careers in healthcare, education, business, the arts, military service, and public leadership.
“Transform the spaces you enter,” he told the Class of 2026. “And never forget that you will always remain part of the enduring story of Mary Baldwin University.”
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