Warren Wilson College Celebrates Class of 2026
May 19, 2026
View photos of Commencement here.
View the recorded LiveStream of the event here.
Warren Wilson College celebrated the Class of 2026 at its commencement on Saturday, May 9. One hundred and seventy-three students received their degrees this year, including previously-awarded Master of Fine Arts recipients.
After words of welcome from several College leaders, President Damián J. Fernández shared remarks as part of what he called his “anti-commencement presidential speech crusade, a movement of one up to now,” he said.
With several approaches falling short—including interpretive dance, telenovelas, allowing graduation attendees to choose the topic, and installing a trailer truck-sized mirror—he shared that he settled on the one-word Commencement speech. “Minimalist minimalism. Less is so much more. Of all the estimated million words in the English language, I have chosen one. Educe.”
“Educe: From the Latin to lead out. To bring forth or develop. To manifest what is hidden, to express latent potential. … Educe implies that you can usher goodness into the world,” he said. “I see educing as a responsibility and a privilege. A sort of alchemy in which you are an agent that activates a reaction for the better. Others can educe goodness in you too, adding to the common good. A win win win. A chain reaction catalyzing the positive in all. If we all commit to educe, we are all teachers and students at the same time.”
Read President Fernández’s full remarks here.
Student speaker Ursula Curlin ’26 celebrated the class’s “hope and resilience,” developed in part through experiencing Hurricane Helene.
“It is that shared resilience, exemplified through the individual and collective hardships we have faced during our time here, that keeps us connected today and will keep us connected decades into the future,” Curlin said. “It is that hope we share that will bring the positive change toward the world that we want to see. Whether or not we know our next steps, I am confident that each of our futures will be transformative.”
Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University and Chief Scientific Officer at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Law, Brain & Behavior, served as the College’s 2026 Commencement Speaker. A pioneering researcher in psychology and neuroscience, Dr. Barrett is widely recognized for her groundbreaking work on emotion in the brain. She is the author of Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain and How Emotions Are Made, and has published more than 285 peer-reviewed articles in leading scientific journals. Her work has been honored with numerous distinctions, including the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Association for Psychological Science’s William James Award.
In her address, Dr. Barrett shared “three scientific tidbits about how brains work. They help me to create a life of meaning and substance, particularly in these challenging times. I hope you’ll find them similarly useful.”
She shared that the brain is a simplifier. Its most important job is regulating and coordinating the systems of the body, and doing it efficiently. And finally, that the brain is wired for action first, but we are what we do (and what we don’t do).
“I hope you’ll remember these three suggestions that I’ve offered to you, as a neuroscientist and a fellow human: 1) Be mindful of oversimplifying, and embrace a bit more complexity than you’re comfortable with. 2) Take care of your body budget and the body budgets of those around you. It isn’t a cure-all, but it sure makes everything else a little easier. 3) Remember that you are what you do. Your actions define you.”
After they walked across the stage, the students received white pine tree saplings, a tradition at the college. Just as each graduate leaves the college to put down roots and grow, they are encouraged to plant the tree away from campus as a symbol of the mark they will make in the wider world once they leave Warren Wilson.
The Honors and Awards ceremony took place on Friday, May 8, recognizing Warren Wilson’s top seniors, faculty, and staff.
Jetta Ghosthorse was presented with the Alton F. Pfaff Award, the college’s highest honor given to a graduating senior. Mia Thompson received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, which is presented each year in recognition of a graduating senior’s personal character, integrity, and service to others and their communities.
Professor of Chemistry Langdon Hughes received the Teaching Excellence Award and Health Center Nurse Patricia Parker received the Staff Excellence Award.