2026 Commencement Address

Class of 2026, Congratulations!

This morning, you stand together in the great tradition of GW revolutionaries, poised to build on the strong foundation that you created here to impact every field imaginable.

You came to GW and the nation’s capital driven by the possibility and promise of this consequential city. You came to be right here in the middle of the action, not standing on the sidelines. You came to prepare yourselves to be strong and resilient leaders. You came here so that you could change the world, and in the process, give voice to causes you believe in.

Doing all that here in D.C. added so much to your GW experience:

You jogged along the National Mall, watching the sun rise over the Capitol dome. Your footsteps echoed in the halls of Congress as you added your voices to those historic chambers. You studied just steps away from the World Bank, the State Department, and the Smithsonian, and you worked there as well . . . . with economists, intelligence experts, scientists, historians, and many, many others, giving you a front row seat to programs and professions that change the world at scale.

Here at GW, you have left your own indelible mark as members of the Class of 2026.

Your class regularly packed the house to see visiting legislators, cabinet members, and Supreme Court justices. We may be the only university in America whose moot court competition fills a 1500-seat auditorium every single year. Your class brought passion about sustainability and community that has transformed our campus, from native gardens to Square 80, and don’t forget those hammocks!

Of course, these memories and milestones don’t change the fact that this is an uncertain and bewildering moment for a lot of reasons. I feel it, and I know many of you must feel it, too.

So much is happening that’s beyond our control right now, from an unpredictable economy to increasing polarization across our own country to rapid changes in technology that are redefining entire professions.

This moment raises questions for all of us:

• about our democracy and economy
• about the job market
• about how we can make still a difference

All of these questions are very important, but today I'd like to focus on that last one because—to me—the desire to make a difference defines the spirit I see in GW students every day.

So many of you feel an enormous responsibility to make the world a beter place. You see a need, and you do your best to meet it. You encounter a prolem—the bigger, the better—and you don’t stop until you solve it.

That drive to make a difference, to make the world a better place, is the story of America itself.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Imagine the responsibility felt by those who came together to draft that document. They carried the weight of an entire country’s future on their shoulders. They saw a problem and met it head on, not knowing what would happen next. They stood together, despite deep disagreements and fierce opposition, because they believed they could build something better.

They believed that they could make a difference.

Their example—and yours—remind us that being a revolutionary doesn’t mean we always agree or that we are always certain. It is about having the courage to move forward together in pursuit of something greater than ourselves.

And you—Class of 2026—did just that here at GW.

You saw a need to support transfer students, so you founded the GW Transfer Student Association.

You saw gaps in health care, so you developed award-winning apps, streamlined lab workflows, and created caregiver navigation to help dementia patients.

You saw a need to promote civil discourse, so you revived GW’s great tradition of student-led policy debates on campus. Here in Washington—a city shaped by argument, ideas, public service, and democratic debate—that effort carried special meaning.

These are among the many ways that this remarkable class defines what it means to be a revolutionary.

Class of 2026—Here is my charge to you:

In the face of the uncertain and the unknown,

• Draw on the strength and friendships you forged here at GW.
• Show up for one another and for the causes you care about.
• Believe in yourself and stay true to YOUR vision.
• Above all, go forth boldly with conviction, and show the world what it means to be a GW Revolutionary.

Congratulations, Class of 2026!

And Raise High!