Graduation News

For Honors College student and University Scholar Monica Amaya, the journey to a degree isn’t just about the final walk across the stage—it’s about a promise she made to her family and herself years ago.

Graduating community health major Emaan Amir combines research, clinical work, and interdisciplinary study as she heads toward her medical career.

George Mason University will honor more than 12,000 students graduating or earning certificates at Spring Commencement at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at EagleBank Arena on the Fairfax Campus. The event will be livestreamed on George Mason’s YouTube channel. Doors open at 8:15 a.m.

In addition to the Spring 2026 Commencement on Thursday, May 14, graduates may also choose to attend their college’s degree celebration. Here’s a look at the keynote speakers for each event.

From a nearly decade-long gap between high school and college, to his passion in a niche field of kinesiology, senior Ryan Hutchinson is proving that the road less traveled is sometimes the better one.

Senior Khaled Alkurd is speeding up instead of slowing down as he approaches graduation.

When Saniya Darediya, this year's student commencement speaker, stepped onto George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus for Orientation four years ago, she was fresh off the plane from Gujarat, India. She chose George Mason sight-unseen—and then carved out a place for herself.

There are few George Mason University students as busy as senior Rakibul Alam. A senior majoring in business and concentrating on management and marketing, Alam has become one of the most visible student leaders in the Costello College of Business, where he works as a marketing and communications intern. Recently he was among the speakers welcoming the community at Fuse’s grand celebration in September at Mason Square.

When doctoral student Rooshna Mohsin arrived at George Mason University from New Jersey, she came with a clear purpose: to deepen her research in environmental and reproductive health and work alongside faculty whose scholarship aligned with her own ambitions.

As she prepares to graduate from George Mason, first-generation student Evelyn Carcamo supports immigrant and refugee survivors while working toward a career in clinical social work.

Irma Garcia always had a goal of earning a college degree. Now, at age 72, she will graduate with a bachelor's degree in public administration degree from the Schar School.

George Mason graduate student Jose Meneses has built a remarkable early career in conservation science through hands‑on research with the Smithsonian and global fieldwork. His work—spanning salamander peptides, elephant viruses, and zombie crabs—has shaped his path toward a future in disease ecology.