Knox College President C. Andrew McGadney Commencement 2026 Speech
What a wonderful—it’s wonderful to see so many of you here. I was going to say “is it sunny?” But we’ll take this. This is all right. A beautiful morning on South Lawn.
We are all here today—either watching in person or virtually on our livestream—to join in the 181st Knox College Commencement Ceremony.
To our students gathered here today: today is one of your life’s greatest milestones—the remarkable achievement of completing your college career. And soon you’ll be able to participate in the honored tradition of walking across the stage to receive your bachelor's degree.
Parents, grandparents, guardians, siblings, extended kin, and friends, you have joined us from around the world to celebrate the accomplishments of your graduates and to witness first-hand the results of your enduring support and dedication.
Members of the Knox community, you are here to watch the students you’ve taught, mentored, or worked with for several years achieve their dreams and take the first steps on their post-graduate journey.
And I imagine some of the folks joining us today may be stepping foot on the campus for the first time to celebrate their favorite television star, hometown son, and Commencement speaker, Justin Hartley.
By the way…did any of you see Justin on The Tonight Show, starring Jimmy Fallon last month? I was really hoping that he was gonna mention Knox College on air—he was so close, so close. Maybe next year. He just apologized, so maybe next year.
Knox College Class of 2026, you learned from our amazing faculty and you were mentored by our dedicated staff. You made new friends, learned new skills, and were exposed to new ideas that opened up worlds of possibility for you. All of these experiences have led to this moment. This is your day, your time to stand before your family, friends, and community, and be celebrated for all that you achieved during your time here at Knox and in Galesburg.
This is also a great time to thank your family, guardians, and friends for their love and support. So let’s give the entire village of support a heartfelt round of applause, please.
[Applause]
Graduates, I can imagine your excitement to complete this academic chapter of your life and to begin a fresh start in the world—whether that’s attending graduate or professional school, figuring out your next step, starting a job, or serving your local communities.
I also appreciate that the world may seem scarier and more uncertain today than it was when you started at Knox four years ago. But as you face navigating this world as a college graduate, I want to remind you that you all have one thing in common with each other and the Knox alumni who came before you.
And that is courage.
It took courage for Knox’s founders to leave their homes on the East Coast and travel to the western boundary of our nation to open a college rooted in the belief that all deserving students are guaranteed access to education, regardless of background, financial circumstances, race, or gender.
This courage has provided generations of students opportunities to seek a transformative and life-changing education here at Knox. Many of these students had the courage to be the first person in their family to attend college or to travel across the world to receive a Knox education. All have gone on to foster, as our mission states, quote, “a lifelong love of learning and a sense of competence, confidence and proportion that will enable [them] to live with purpose and to contribute to the well-being of others.” End quote.
Alumni like: C. Maude Tenney Brown, Class of 1872, who was the first woman to receive a degree at Knox College and not the Knox Seminary for women. She went on to teach at Knox before dedicating her life to her family and the good of her community.
Hiram Rhodes Revels, who attended Knox in 1856-57 and studied Theology, was a minister, educator and the first African American to serve in the United States Senate.
Or Erin Carder, Class of 2017, who came to Knox after receiving her associate’s degree at Galesburg’s Carl Sandburg College. Today, she works as the TRIO Student Support Services Academic Advisor/Retention coordinator at her, the other hometown alma mater, called Carl Sandburg.
James “Jim” Kilts, Class of 1970, and “Duke” Petrovich, Class of 1974, who both served as presidents of Fortune 500 companies and are both trustee emeriti of this great College, with Duke serving as Board Chair during his tenure.
Speaking of Board Chairs—I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to our board chair, John Lawler, Class of 1988, and as you heard earlier, yeah, let’s give him a round [applause]. And as you heard earlier, a first-generation college student who has gone on to lead an international career at Ford Motor Company, where he currently serves as vice chair.
And there are countless other alumni who do great things, big and small, in every field of human endeavor and at all levels of society. And like these alumni, each of you graduating today had the courage to persevere and achieve this personal milestone.
Students like: Lance Miller who made Knox history by being the second Prairie Fire runner to compete at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, and holds at least five school records in track and cross country. And he worked as hard off the track as on it, majoring in biochemistry with minors in German and chemistry and earning entry into Phi Beta Kappa as a junior for his academic achievements.
Naysha Jain who came to Knox from India, pursued a double major in physics and computer science, researched at the SETI Institute’s collaboration with NASA, and presented research at the AstroAI workshop at Harvard’s Center for Astrophysics. She is staying in the Midwest to pursue a fully-funded Ph.D. in astronomy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Ian Smith, a wonderful example of someone who approaches the liberal arts and sciences, is graduating with a bachelor of science in biology and a bachelor of arts in music. He participated in multiple choirs, and spent a summer researching at the Shoals Marine Laboratory in Maine. Next year, he’ll start a Ph.D. program in integrative biology at the University of Chicago.
Paula Flores Cevallos who is graduating with a major in biology, minors in German and Spanish translation, and as a certified Spanish Medical Interpreter. She is taking a gap year in Spain before attending medical school.
Grael Mulata from Galesburg, is a first-generation college student and George Washington Gale Scholar, as well as a participant in the TRIO Achievement Program. He hopes to remain in Western Illinois working in the human relations field, sharing that, quote, “paying back to this community is a must.” End quote.
Tamia Ware, who is described as being a wizard with the Rubik’s cube, received the Elizabeth Eckford Scholarship, and was president of Allied Blacks for Liberty & Equality (ABLE), a member of the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Planning Committee, and a McNair Scholar.
Football captain, Admission Ambassador, and Honor Board member Reese Miller, held two internships during his Knox career—one with U.S. Congresswoman Michelle Steele, and one with Chicago non-profit Contemporary Farmer, Inc. All right, Reese!
Elise Connelly and Phoebe Amiri who both received the Champion of Queer Excellence Award for community members who have gone above and beyond in their celebration and advocacy of LGBTQ+ student belonging. Elise has been involved in Common Ground since her first year at Knox. One of her most treasured memories was her Green Oaks Term experience. I think that was her shouting out Stuart out there. Phoebe was active in Common Ground, Knox’s LGBTQ+ student club, Catan Club, and LARP, and served as an archivist at the Galesburg Public Library as a KnoxCorps Fellow.
Bruno Freitas is graduating with a degree in anthropology/sociology, and a minor in gender and women’s studies. He completed College Honors and received the Gender & Women’s Studies prize for his research. He also has an interest in socially responsible concepts, epitomized in his service on the Knox Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing.
And Carly Smith from Galesburg was a student athlete, a mentor, and a mother to her young daughter Geneva. She chose Knox because of its proximity to home and its supportive and welcoming atmosphere, and Carly contributed to this atmosphere during her time at Knox, participating in both volleyball and basketball and the TRIO program. A double major in Secondary Education and Anthropology, and plans to be a high school teacher.
These students are just a few examples of today’s graduating class. But the truth of the matter is…
Whether you have a 4.0 GPA and are graduating magna cum laude; or as my Galesburg friend Mr. Rodney Bunch says magna cum laudy or Thank-you Lawdy. Whether you started at Knox, left for a bit, and came back again, or you relied on the Red Room tutors to help you survive your 300-level chemistry classes. Whatever your experience at Knox, all of you had the courage to open up yourself to new experiences, pursue challenging academic endeavors, and push yourselves to achieve your goals.
Knox Class of 2026, you have spent your college career preparing for the future. As you cross this stage today and set off for new adventures, I ask you to find comfort in the fact that you leave Knox with the same education as generations of Knox alumni before you—an education based in critical thinking and problem solving, as well as the values of community, empathy, and engagement that have defined Knox College since its founding.
And, most importantly, what you learned here will stay with you throughout your lives, becoming more powerful over time as you continue to grow and learn. This is why the graduates of our “Little College on the Prairie” continue to make outsized contributions to our local communities and around the globe.
I truly wish I could say that your path will be easy, that our world was less tumultuous. But I have confidence in all of you, the education you received here at Knox, and the courage you take with you into the world.
May you find joy and success in the years ahead.
Congratulations Class of 2026.
Published on June 07, 2026