Congratulations to the Class of 2026!
Posted May 06, 2026
Congratulations to the Class of 2026! Your achievements are inspiring, and we can’t wait to see where your journey takes you!
This year, we graduated 455 undergraduates and 35 graduate degrees, many of whom attended the commencement ceremony on May 3. The new location at the Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center allowed all the graduates to celebrate together in one ceremony and invite more family and friends to watch them walk across the stage.
Leading up to the ceremony, the graduates celebrated at several events including:
- Lavender Graduation, an event that invites everyone to celebrate the achievements of LBGTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, nonbinary) graduates and their allies. At the celebration, each student received their lavender cords to wear at commencement and had a chance to share something about their experience and thank their support circle.
- Noble Transitions, a multicultural pre-graduation ceremony that recognized students of color, international, and first-generation students. Students received a Kente stole to wear at commencement and were invited to share a senior reflection and thank those who have been influential in their success. Family, friends, faculty, and staff joined to celebrate.
- Grad Bash, a new campus festival on the Quad to celebrate the Class of 2026. Grads, family, and friends enjoyed live music, beverages, food, and wild experiences like iceless skating and more.
- A Toast to the Class of 2026, an event where graduates, family, and friends join with President John Comerford in a toast to the Class of 2026 and their futures.
This year’s commencement speaker was an Otterbein alumna with words of wisdom to share with the new class. Sara Ullman Pfaff ’77 is senior vice president – wealth management at Pfaff, Bailey, McCannon, & Fuelleman Group in Chicago. Pfaff, Bailey, McCannon, & Fuelleman Group has been recognized as an industry leader, including being named one of Barron’s Top 250 Private Wealth Management Teams in 2025 and Forbes’ Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.
We would like to extend a special thank you to the family and friends who supported the graduates throughout their years at Otterbein. If you missed the ceremony or would like to relive or share the memory with others, you can watch the Commencement Ceremony online.
