When he arrived on campus in the summer of 2022, Isaiah Russell was filled with anxiety and exhilaration. He had left his home in Silver Springs, Md. for the trip to Union and the next step in his life’s journey.
“When the first day of classes rolled around, I was overwhelmed by a sea of nerves,” said Russell, an English major with a minor in digital studies. “Now, when I walk around campus, I find myself wanting to try new things and challenge myself, a testament to how much this place has changed me.
“Union has greatly shaped who I am as a person. The environment, the people I have met, and the endless pools of knowledge around every corner have helped me find my voice and clear some of the fog surrounding my future. These four years have been an exciting journey that has grown me into a leader in my community.”
Fifty years after his own graduation, John Kelly III '76, a technology pioneer and one of the driving forces behind advanced computing and artificial intelligence research, returned to campus as the featured speaker.
Russell was among more than 500 seniors of the Class of 2026 who graduated Sunday on Roger Hull Plaza during Union’s 232nd commencement. The students represent 30 states and the District of Columbia, and 20 countries.
Fifty years after his own graduation from Union, John Kelly III '76, a technology pioneer and one of the driving forces behind advanced computing and artificial intelligence research, returned as the featured speaker.
He reflected on his time at Union and how it prepared him for whatever came next.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew that I had one of the most amazing educations in the world, squarely at the intersection of the liberal arts and STEM,” said Kelly, who majored in physics. “And that is why I chose Union in the first place.”
During his 40-year career at IBM, Kelly was instrumental in establishing and maintaining IBM’s industry leadership across myriad technologies, ranging from semiconductors to supercomputers, from artificial intelligence to quantum computing.
Kelly is often described as the “father of Watson,” the famous computer system most known for competing against human contestants on “Jeopardy!”
He shared lessons he learned that allowed him to survive and prosper for five decades, and the technological shifts throughout that time, from the slide rule and calculator, to Watson and now artificial intelligence.
He urged graduates to find what makes them happy and do it and lead with passion. In 2024, he co-founded Global AI, a leading-edge AI computer provider. He currently serves as chairman and chief technical officer of the high-growth company.
“For me, it’s building and fixing things,” he said. “That is why I started my new company at age 70. I am a lifelong learner and doer. You have received and achieved the best education. Now it’s your turn.”
Kelly received an honorary doctorate of engineering.
In her remarks, the student speaker, Miyah Falk, focused on “walking past traditions.” She talked about her parents, Adam and Gail, who met at Union in 1985, graduated in 1987 and got engaged in Karp Hall in 1995.
A newly-minted graduate of the Class of 2026 celebrates her feat.
“Before I ever walked across this campus, before I ever sat in a classroom, or pretended I understood a reading I definitely didn’t, Union was already a part of my life,” said Falk, a double major in English and political science from Washington, D.C.
“It showed up in stories about my parents' first date in front of the flag pole and Nott shots hung on my kitchen walls. In the way this place was spoken about—not just as a school, but as something that shaped people. And for a long time, I thought that meant my experience here would look like theirs. That I would follow some invisible outline of what Union is supposed to be. But then I got here. And I realized something I think a lot of us have realized in our own ways: We did not come here to repeat a story. We came here to complicate it. Because my Union is not my parents’ Union. It is not my sister Sarah’s Union (Class of 2023). And it is not the same as yours and that is exactly the point.”
She reminded the class that they have been shaped by traditions they didn’t realize they were carrying while also creating their own. Union is tradition, she said, but it is also disruption. It is continuity and change, history and possibility, expectation and reinvention all happening at once.
As graduates continue their journey, Falk assured them they are not leaving traditions behind.
“We are walking past it, just like we always have,” she said. “But this time, we understand it. Tradition is not what we inherit. It is what we choose to carry forward and what we choose to become.”
This was the first Union Commencement for President Elizabeth Kiss since she joined the College last July.
President Elizabeth Kiss greets a new graduate from the Class of 2026
“As you complete this chapter of your life and commence a new one, remember that the skills, experiences and life lessons you gained at Union will stand you in good stead in the years to come, through all of life’s ups and downs,” she said in her charge to the graduates.
“Remember that beyond all of your shiny accomplishments which strengthen and develop you but do not define you. What is enduring are the ways you shine in the world. The qualities you bring to your life that never tarnish or go out of style. Your kindness, your curiosity, your willingness to keep learning and growing, your commitment to embrace uncertainty and say yes to new opportunities even when they are beyond your comfort zone.”
Ten members of the Class of 2026 received special recognition during the ceremony.
A record nine students in the class earned the distinction of valedictorian: Mehir Badlani Cora Bessette, Karmen Gill, Ava Hubert, Vishaal Nayagam, Katherine Robinson, Allison Shelley, Mai Tran and Ha Truong. All graduate with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
Sarah Zeidalkilani earned the distinction of salutatorian as a result of achieving the second highest grade point average in the class.
The day was extra special for several graduates who also celebrated birthdays Sunday. Two of them, Vanessa Jorgensen and Brian Breslow, have a tradition of getting coffee together on their birthday. They met before their first year at a Zac Brown Band concert when Jorgenson spotted him wearing a Union shirt.
Members of the Class of 2026 march through the Nott Memorial as part of the processional for Commencement.
“I am so grateful that I get to celebrate not only my birthday, but also Commencement on the very same day,” Jorgensen said. “Even better, I get to share this special occasion with the amazing friends I met through Union and the soccer teams. This is one of our last opportunities for Brian and I to share a birthday coffee together before graduation, which makes it even more meaningful.”
The celebration opened with remarks from Stacie Raucci, College marshal and the Frank Bailey Professor of Classics. Julie Swidler ‘79, chair of the Board of Trustees, offered welcoming remarks.
Following “Ode to Old Union," the ceremony concluded with a performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by newly-minted graduates Daniel Buletza and Sarah Unger and the Union College Japanese Drumming and Global Fusion Band.
For more information on Commencement, visit the website.