Photos by Rebecca Zenefski Slater ’10
On May 8 and 9, a total of 1,058 new St. Catherine University graduates walked across the stage at The O’Shaughnessy and joined a community of over 57,000 alumni. The Commencement weekend featured four ceremonies, a Baccalaureate Mass, and festivities across campus, brought together in joyous celebration of the accomplishments of the Class of 2026.
At each Commencement ceremony, student speakers addressed their fellow graduates, reflecting on the experiences that shaped their time at St. Kate’s and offering words of wisdom for the next chapter of their lives.
Amanda Sperling ’25, College for Adults Commencement speaker
Amanda Sperling ’25, College for Adults
Amanda Sperling, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Healthcare Management last fall, was the speaker at the College for Adults ceremony. She spoke about her journey to this culminating moment, which involved several different universities and majors before she wound up on her current path — and landed her dream job the week she graduated.
“Here’s what I learned: success doesn’t follow a straight line,” Sperling said. “It happens when we keep moving forward, even when the road twists, turns, crumbles, and throws up roadblocks.”
She encouraged her peers to not be discouraged by those roadblocks, but to see them as essential parts of the path forward: “Let us carry forward the lessons of perseverance. Let’s remember that success is not defined by speed, but by impact. And let’s continue to lift each other up because when one of us rises, we all rise. May we be the generation that proves roadblocks are not barriers, but stepping stones.”
Sara Fischer MSW’26, Graduate College Commencement speaker
Sara Fischer MSW’26, Graduate College
In her address at the Graduate College ceremony, Master of Social Work graduate Sara Fischer discussed the impact of attending a school like St. Kate’s, where values are not just spoken about but truly lived.
“We felt this in professors who saw potential before we did, classmates who became lifelines, and advisors who reminded us that asking for help is wisdom, not weakness,” she said. “St. Kate’s didn’t just teach us how to succeed, it taught us how to bring our full humanity into our work.”
Fischer advised her fellow graduates to lean on the lessons and values instilled in them by their education: “As we leave St. Kate’s, we do so as an interconnected network committed to meaningful work. Our paths will diverge, but our foundation remains shared, a foundation of purpose, community, and courage.”
Lalisse Burka ’26, College for Women Commencement speaker
Lalisse Burka ’26, College for Women
Lalisse Burka, a chemistry and biology double major, delivered the graduate address at the first of the College for Women ceremonies, for graduates from the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences and the School of Business. Burka described the trepidation she felt at graduating into a world full of disaster, division, and uncertainty. But, she said, her education has helped her gain a new perspective: “As scientists we are taught that certainty was never the goal. No matter how strong the data, no matter how carefully constructed the experiment, we never claim absolute proof.”
Instead, Burka spoke of the value of looking beyond certainty as the end-all, be-all: “I think it is what this moment is asking of all of us — to grow inside the uncertainty, to find that this unsettled, unmapped place is exactly where we are meant to bloom,” she said. “We were not taught to wait for the world to be certain before we began. We were taught to begin.”
Jazmin Diaz-Jauregui ’26, College for Women Commencement speaker
Jazmin Diaz-Jauregui ’26, College for Women
At the second College for Women ceremony, honoring graduates from the School of Nursing and the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health Sciences, respiratory care graduate Jazmin Diaz-Jauregui addressed the Class of 2026. She spoke of her experience as the first in her family to obtain a college degree: “Being first-generation means walking into spaces that once felt unfamiliar and choosing to stay anyway. It means showing up even when you feel out of place. I was given an opportunity, one built on sacrifice and faith, and that is something I will never take for granted.”
Diaz-Jauregui reminded graduates that though they may feel overwhelmed at times, especially when treading an unfamiliar path, they are often more prepared than they may feel. “This institution has taught us that leadership is not about being seen — it is about showing up, serving others, and choosing courage even when no one is watching,” she said. “Some of us will have visible careers, while others will work quietly behind the scenes. Some of us will lead organizations. Some of us will break generational barriers. Some of us will be the first. But none of us will be the last.”