ETSU honors graduates at spring commencement

East Tennessee State University celebrated graduates Saturday as students, families and faculty gathered for spring commencement. The university celebrated 2,061 members of the Class of 2026 during ceremonies held Friday and Saturday across campus. Friday's events in the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts included hooding and commencement ceremonies for graduates of the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy and the Quillen College of Medicine. Saturday held two ceremonies in the ETSU Ballad Health Athletic Center recognizing graduates from the colleges of Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Education and Human Development, Public Health, Nursing, and Business and Technology, along with pharmacy studies and biomedical sciences graduates. Saturday morning's ceremony specifically recognized graduates from the colleges of Health Sciences and Arts and Sciences, as well as students receiving a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy studies or a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences. Kimberly McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, encouraged graduates to continue pursuing knowledge and service beyond their degrees during the ceremony. "Whether you are planning to further your education, you're entering the workforce, moving on to a graduate degree or another new adventure, my wish for you is simple, that you never stop learning, and that as you go forward, I hope that you strive not only to do well in life, but to continue to do good for others," McCorkle said. McCorkle said 2,061 degrees were conferred to members of the Class of 2026. Among the baccalaureate graduates recognized Saturday morning, 226 graduated cum laude, 342 magna cum laude and 377 summa cum laude. She said 58 graduates overall completed their studies with a 4.0 grade point average. Other groups recognized at the ceremony included first-generation students, 1911 Society students as well as veterans and those going on to serve in the military. "We are extremely proud of our reserve officer training core program here at ETSU, and our students' commitment to service and leadership excellence," McCorkle said. "Yesterday afternoon, we commissioned 13 seniors and second lieutenants in the United States Army." ETSU Board of Trustees Chair Melissa Steagall-Jones praised graduates for achievements both inside and outside the classroom. "As I reflect on your time at ETSU, I am filled with both pride and admiration," Steagall-Jones said. "I think of the moments that define your journey — competing on our fields, filling our concert halls with music, representing ETSU on national stages, earning prestigious awards and scholarships, delivering inspiring performances and showing up for your communities with compassion and purpose in times of need," she said. "These are the moments that will define the class of 2026. They speak not only to your talent and determination, but to your character." Keynote speaker Mike Stoots, recipient of ETSU's 2025 Distinguished Faculty in Teaching award, reflected on his own experience graduating in the same building as a first-generation college student. "I congratulate you all on this wonderful day and journey," he said. "You can take four, five, six, seven years to reach this milestone, but it doesn't matter. How long you went through, how long you worked, you completed it, you finished." ETSU President Brian Noland described commencement as both a celebration of accomplishment and the start of a new chapter. "Graduates, commencement is both the ending and the beginning," Noland said. "It's a time for renewal and reflection, a chance to look back at what has been and a time to look forward to the future and dream." The ceremony concluded as graduates crossed the stage to receive diplomas while family members and friends filled the Mini-Dome in celebration.