Commencement 2026 Celebrates Success and Possibility
Widener graduates crossed the stage with pride and turned their tassels at the university’s 2026 commencement festivities.
The tent went up and chairs lined Memorial Field as the university hosted five ceremonies over three days to celebrate each of the Chester campus’ schools and colleges.
At each ceremony President Stacey Robertson addressed graduates and their guests, recognizing them for their achievements and celebrating their successes.
“To share this accomplishment with each and every one of you, with your family and friends, is a great honor and a great joy,” she said.
Robertson also shared some words of wisdom, and her belief in the power of positivity.
“Many of us believe that happiness follows success – and that happiness must be sacrificed in the pursuit of success. That being stressed, anxious, exhausted and overworked is a badge of honor that will eventually result in success and happiness,” Robertson said. “But – in fact – the opposite is true: We become more successful when we are happier and more positive.”
Here are the stats for commencement 2026:
🎓 1,044 graduates crossed the stage
- 556 undergraduate students, 488 graduate students
🗓️ 3 days, 5 ceremonies
🌎 Global Graduates
- 2026 grads hailed from 13 countries including China, Ecuador, Nigeria and Pakistan, as well as 26 states including Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington.
🎉 (Pom-pom)p and circumstance
- 4,000(ish) blue and gold pom-poms distributed
🪑 Crowd Count
- 3,000 chairs on Memorial Field for grads and guests
Relive the day - browse commencement photos
