[This is a developing story. Please stay tuned for additional coverage. Have questions about Convocation? Find guest information and more here.]

Ceremony IV

For graduates from the departments of Arts & Humanities and Curriculum & Teaching

• After receiving TC’s Medal for Distinguished Service, renowned American ballet dancer, best-selling author, educator and philanthropist Misty Copeland, emphasized the powerful influence educators have on their students. “As you move forward from this moment, I hope you…remember that your presence, your consistency, your care, your belief, can be the thing that changes someone’s life. Just like someone once did for me,” she said.
• Graduate Sam Bolourtchi (M.A ’26, Philosophy and Education), discussed the positive influence of her peers at TC. “Our community didn’t just challenge me academically — it met me with care, with presence, and with a kind of attentiveness that changed how I saw myself,” she said.
• The final graduates of the Class of 2026 — from the Arts & Humanities, Curriculum & Teaching, and Education Policy & Social Analysis departments — officially became Teachers College alumni in the last ceremony of the spring term.

Ceremony III

For graduates from the departments of Biobehavioral Sciences, Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology, International & Transcultural Studies and Education, Policy & Social Analysis.

• After receiving TC’s Medal for Distinguished Service, alumna Kate MacKenzie (M.S. ’02), Executive Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, reminded graduates that enacting true change requires persistence and patience. “The people who shape what comes next…will be the ones who saw something true early and stayed with it. You are those people.” said MacKenzie.
• Graduate RJ Wicks (M.A ’26, Education Policy and Social Analysis), encouraged his fellow graduates to plant the seeds of change as they pursue their careers. “We have a responsibility…to honor the ground beneath us. To show up in the classrooms, clinics, neighborhoods, organizations and communities where change is already waiting to begin.” he said.
• Doctoral and masters candidates from the Biobehavioral Sciences, Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology, International & Transcultural Studies and Education, Policy & Social Analysis departments officially graduated as the Class of 2026 and became Teachers College alumni.

Ceremony II

For graduates from the departments of Mathematics, Science & Technology and Organization & Leadership.

• After receiving TC’s Medal for Distinguished Service, alumna Wanda Marie Holland Greene (Ed.M. ’21, M.A. ’92), Head of the Hamlin School in San Francisco, encouraged graduates to prioritize authenticity in their work. “Your unique story is the home where your superpowers live. Being myself has been one of the keys to my success as a leader in education.”
• Graduate Abu Abdelbagi (Ed.D. ’26, Technology, Media & Learning), encouraged his peers to remain “stubbornly hopeful.” “My fellow TC graduates…may the green patches growing through the pavement always remind you that even in the hardest places, life finds a way to bloom — just like you,” said Abdelbagi.
• Doctoral and masters candidates from the Mathematics, Science & Technology and Organization & Leadership departments officially graduated as the Class of 2026 and became Teachers College alumni. 

Ceremony I

For graduates of the Counseling & Clinical Psychology and Human Development departments

• After receiving TC’s Medal for Distinguished Service, alumna Prudence L. Carter (M.A. ’95) — Sarah and Joseph Jr. Dowling Professor of Sociology and Peltz Ruttenberg Family Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America at Brown University — emphasized the power of community and empathy to address our society’s most pressing issues. “In this moment, what the world needs most is precisely the kind of work you have been trained to do,” she said.
• Graduate Jihan Basyah (M.A ’26, Psychology in Education), shared fond memories from her time at TC and how it changed her as a person. “We may be leaving with one of the most prestigious degrees, but the most fruitful of it all is the character we got to build throughout our time here,” she said.
• Doctoral and masters candidates from the Counseling & Clinical Psychology and Human Development departments officially graduated as the Class of 2026 and became Teachers College alumni. 

Stay Tuned For:

• On Wednesday, May 20, Breaking New Ground: Diversity & First Generation Celebration at 5 p.m. ET.