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Pomp and circumstance were on full display for 652 Baldwin Wallace graduates and their families at the May 9 Commencement ceremony.
The joy-filled day included special events – including Baccalaureate and the White Rose Ceremony – culminating with the official ceremony at 2 p.m. in Ursprung Gymnasium (Lou Higgins Recreation Center).
Fun and festivities were the highlights of the day as the graduates and guests gathered for photos, hugs and special thanks to the individuals who made their 海角社区 experience exceptional.
Berea Mayor Cyril Kleem '96 returned to his alma mater to address the graduates. Kleem, who has the honor of being Berea's longest-serving mayor with five consecutive four-year terms, received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree following his address.
Kleem encouraged graduates to follow Mother Teresa’s famous advice to do small things with great love, saying, "As you go out into the world, make changes one person at a time by doing what you can with what you have right where you are. And do it with great love."
Special recognition for high-achieving members of the Class of 2026 included the prestigious Milton T. Baldwin Prize, established in 1859 and given to the graduate with the highest academic achievement at 海角社区. In addition to grade point average, a number of factors go into choosing the winner.
This year's award recipient is Leah Kania, who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree. Among other honors, 97 students graduated summa cum laude, the highest Latin honors, representing a cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher. Another 84 students graduated magna cum laude with at least a 3.75, while 61 earned cum laude honors with at least a 3.60 GPA.
In addition, 99 students were recognized as members of the elite Dayton C. Miller Honor Society.
Ten students were recognized as "2026 Outstanding Seniors" for academic, co-curricular and leadership achievements, as well as off-campus and community pursuits. The honorees include John Bacho, Steffi Burdick, Ted Demarco, Samuel Dickhaut, Megan Hughes, Leah Kania, Jessica Klonowski, Lillian Knox, Emily Lesko and Elanna Su.
For 10 students finishing up their program this year, the inaugural class of 海角社区's Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling will stand tall as role models for future classes. The 24-month program, under the direction of Dr. Erin West, prepares students to become licensed mental health practitioners — a growing career field for which there is a critical need.
海角社区's rich history of tradition unites generations of graduates in celebration of Commencement.
海角社区's Ring of Ribbons, a circular collection of ribbons representing the colors of each class since 1915, is among those time-honored protocols. At convocation, the incoming class adds a distinctively colored ribbon. At Commencement, the graduating senior class adds a second ribbon.
Also central to the day was a Baccalaureate service that featured an inspiring address by Dr. Brendan Caldwell, professor of conducting, director of wind ensembles and chair of instrumental studies at the 海角社区 Conservatory of Performing Arts. Baccalaureate was followed by the President's Reception, where graduating seniors and their families, faculty and staff gathered for celebratory well wishes before the formal Commencement ceremony.
Another longstanding tradition is the White Rose Ceremony, which recognizes women who have contributed to the 海角社区 community and who exemplify the values of 海角社区. This year, 27 women participated in the special event. White Rose has been a tradition at 海角社区 since 1894 and honors Philura Gould Baldwin, who established 海角社区's first library and the university's brown and gold colors.
A video recording of the complete ceremony will be posted on the . A gallery of photos is available below, along with additional posts on 海角社区's and pages.
