Baldwin Wallace University celebrates 176th commencement

Pomp and circumstance were on full display for 652 Baldwin Wallace graduates and their families at the May 9 Commencement ceremony. 

The joy-filled day included special events – including Baccalaureate and the White Rose Ceremony – culminating with the official ceremony at 2 p.m. in Ursprung Gymnasium (Lou Higgins Recreation Center).

Fun and festivities were the highlights of the day as the graduates and guests gathered for photos, hugs and special thanks to the individuals who made their BW experience exceptional.

Inspiring keynote speech

Berea Mayor Cyril Kleem '96 returned to his alma mater to address the graduates. Kleem, who has the honor of being Berea's longest-serving mayor with five consecutive four-year terms, received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree following his address.

Kleem encouraged graduates to follow Mother Teresa’s famous advice to do small things with great love, saying, "As you go out into the world, make changes one person at a time by doing what you can with what you have right where you are. And do it with great love."

Celebrating academic excellence

Special recognition for high-achieving members of the Class of 2026 included the prestigious Milton T. Baldwin Prize, established in 1859 and given to the graduate with the highest academic achievement at BW. In addition to grade point average, a number of factors go into choosing the winner.

This year's award recipient is Leah Kania, who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree. Among other honors, 97 students graduated summa cum laude, the highest Latin honors, representing a cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher. Another 84 students graduated magna cum laude with at least a 3.75, while 61 earned cum laude honors with at least a 3.60 GPA.

In addition, 99 students were recognized as members of the elite Dayton C. Miller Honor Society.

Lauding student leaders

Ten students were recognized as "2026 Outstanding Seniors" for academic, co-curricular and leadership achievements, as well as off-campus and community pursuits. The honorees include John Bacho, Steffi Burdick, Ted Demarco, Samuel Dickhaut, Megan Hughes, Leah Kania, Jessica Klonowski, Lillian Knox, Emily Lesko and Elanna Su.

First clinical mental health counseling class

For 10 students finishing up their program this year, the inaugural class of BW's Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling will stand tall as role models for future classes. The 24-month program, under the direction of Dr. Erin West, prepares students to become licensed mental health practitioners — a growing career field for which there is a critical need.

Honoring tradition

BW's rich history of tradition unites generations of graduates in celebration of Commencement.

BW's Ring of Ribbons, a circular collection of ribbons representing the colors of each class since 1915, is among those time-honored protocols. At convocation, the incoming class adds a distinctively colored ribbon. At Commencement, the graduating senior class adds a second ribbon.

Also central to the day was a Baccalaureate service that featured an inspiring address by Dr. Brendan Caldwell, professor of conducting, director of wind ensembles and chair of instrumental studies at the BW Conservatory of Performing Arts. Baccalaureate was followed by the President's Reception, where graduating seniors and their families, faculty and staff gathered for celebratory well wishes before the formal Commencement ceremony.

Another longstanding tradition is the White Rose Ceremony, which recognizes women who have contributed to the BW community and who exemplify the values of BW. This year, 27 women participated in the special event. White Rose has been a tradition at BW since 1894 and honors Philura Gould Baldwin, who established BW's first library and the university's brown and gold colors.

Video recording and photos

A video recording of the complete ceremony will be posted on the BW YouTube channel. A gallery of photos is available below, along with additional posts on BW's Instagram and Facebook pages.