During the university’s 140th Commencement ceremonies in May, President Christopher F. Roellke stated that the Class of 2026 personified Stetson’s “powerful and passionate learning community.”

The president’s words: “At Stetson, you were not ‘trained’ simply for a first job. You were educated for a lifetime of learning, adaptation and impact. You learned how to think critically, communicate clearly, reason ethically and engage respectfully with ideas different from your own. These skills are not tempo­rary. They are timeless — and they are needed NOW more than ever.”

Perhaps most of all, those comments capture the excellence of a student class that runs deep and wide, filled with both immediate outcomes of success and immense potential. They represent promise borne from tradition dating back to 1883. And they’re the product of an initiative called Hatter Ready, an innovative approach to education introduced during the 2024-2025 academic year to enhance learning through hands-on, immersive experiences.

For a simple quantification, approximately 775 undergraduates flipped their tassel from the right side of their cap to the left, officially increasing the overall count of living Stetson alumni to more than 45,000.

As for a qualification, extraordinary would fit quite nicely.

Want proof? Consider these brief examples — including how Stetson made a difference — as a mere sampling of the excellence found in Stetson’s Class of 2026, appropriately in alphabetical order.

Aziel Aigbogun certainly didn’t squander his summers with idle time. First came a sophomore internship as a financial analyst at eBay, followed by 2025 internships at BLK Capital Management Corp. in New York and at Piper Sandler, an invest­ment banking firm in the San Francisco area. Now he’s back at Piper Sandler, starting in May as a full-time banking analyst. For perspective, the firm was founded in 1895 and has more than 60 offices nationwide, as well as in London, Aberdeen, Zurich, Munich, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong.

Aigbogun could likely be an asset anywhere by virtue of skills honed as a double major in Investments Finance and Economics, along with studying abroad in Spain and active participation in Hatter Angel Network business-startup pitch competitions. The Hatter Angel Network is part of a student-led program that invests in privately held companies. Aigbogun won a competition as a sophomore, pairing with fellow Class of 2026 standout Bella Degenhardt.

At Stetson, Aigbogun saw his potential steadily rise, as evidenced by these comments made as a sophomore: “The Hatter Angel Network and ENTP 452 [entrepreneurship course] introduced me to the venture capital world, enhancing my education and providing me with experience in evaluating companies both qualitatively and quantitatively.”

This fall, Pilar Astigarraga Harper, a player on the women’s tennis team, begins doctoral studies in genetics at Columbia University in New York. That made her a campus high-achiever on multiple fronts.

In May at the 2026 Academic Awards and Recognition, she won Stetson’s Dorothy L. Fuller Award from the College of Sciences for highest GPA and “most overall outstanding senior.” In April, her Stetson Showcase project was titled “Rapamycin Inhibits Developmental Progression and TOR Signaling in Vanessa cardui Painted Lady Butterfly Larvae,” as she explored links to longev­ity. Also, last summer, as part of a funded Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience project, she investigated how the chemical rapamycin extends lifespans — using caterpillars and butterflies, which had never been done previously. Most recently, she was named an Academic All-American student-athlete.

Astigarraga believes the uncommon research experiences at Stetson are a distinct difference-maker in achieving post-graduation goals.

“During these four years at Stetson,” she comments, “I had the privilege of competing as a Division I student-athlete while nurturing my passion for science. And I was given opportunities that allowed me to become the person I am today. None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support, guidance and belief of my mentors, who encouraged me and opened doors that changed my life.”

A transfer from Daytona State College, Guatemalan native Fernanda Castillo Enriquez founded Ballet for the World Initiative while a student to offer dance and creative writing classes to unhoused children in the United States. Also, she was a Bonner Program student and Writing Center peer tutor.

Having graduated through the Honors Program with a degree in Political Science, Castillo now is working to advance the organization into an official 501 (c) (3) nonprofit. The goal is to continue a mission of providing “children from vulnerable backgrounds with access to an after-school education in both the United States and Guatemala.”

This spring, to expand Ballet for the World Initiative’s impact in Volusia County, she partnered with Brown Girls Do Ballet (a nonprofit promoting diversity in the arts) and the Boys and Girls Club of DeLand, Florida. The ambitious efforts include applying for a second Social Innovation Fund Grant from the Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties. In addition, working with other organizations, she is seeking to deliver legal aid to communities in need. Further, she is preparing for accep­tance into a joint PhD/JD program.

Castillo calls her Stetson education a “transformative opportunity.”

“Thanks to it,” she says, “I [am] the first woman in my family to graduate from college and pursue a postgraduate degree.”

A Flute and Music Theory major, Victoria Camposano-Reyes is headed to Florida State University’s graduate program in theory on a funded assistantship award that will help pay her way.

In March, as part of the Dr. M. Jean Greenlaw Stetson University Concert in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Camposano-Reyes performed a flute solo, emblematic of her achievements in the School of Music. Also, she proved to be a leader on campus, serving as president of Instruments of Healing, an organization where Stetson music students use music to change the lives of people within the community.

Unabashedly, she toots the horn for her time at Stetson.

“The education that Stetson has provided has been vital for where I am today and my future endeavors,” she says. “The Stetson music school has wonderful professors that encourage their students to have interests outside of their initial majors; without them I would not have added my Music Theory major. Additionally, the education at Stetson has provided me with the skills necessary to enter a competitive graduate school program.”

Max Conrad majored in Cybersecurity with a minor in Computer Science. Now, he is a software development engineer on Amazon’s Prime Video team in Culver City, California.

Conrad grew up around the corner from the campus, and attended summertime basketball and science camps. Never, though, did he imagine being a student at Stetson. He joined the Marines and then enrolled at the University of Central Florida before becoming a Hatter.

“I’m so glad I did,” says Conrad, who wanted to find his “identity and purpose in life” coming out of high school.

“Stetson is where that changed. The [Computer Science] program here is seriously impressive and very cutting edge,” he explains. “They even have an [artificial intelligence] class where you learn how to build your own AI and Machine Learning models, and even how mainstream AI models like ChatGPT are built. Professors like Dr. [Dan] Plante and Dr. [Hala] ElAarag pushed me far beyond what I thought I was capable of and gave me the kind of mentorship you just don’t get at a bigger school. These past three years were the best decision of my life.”

His parting words: “Stetson opened my eyes to my passion, and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you, Stetson, for everything.”

For the remainder of the article, see the current issue of Stetson University Magazine.