Congratulations Class of 2026
Tuesday, May 19, marked a day of celebration and reflection as St. Joseph’s University, New York honored the Class of 2026 at its 107th Commencement Ceremony. Thousands of SJNY students, staff, faculty, friends, family and alumni attended the event at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.
Amid a busy morning of arrivals, photos and catching up with friends, there were plenty of smiles, hugs and tears of joy to be had from the Class of 2026. Both Vandy the Bear and Hot Wynz (the Brooklyn and Long Island mascots) were in attendance to cheer on the graduates, as well as pose for pictures.
Over 1,100 students from the University’s Brooklyn and Long Island campuses arrived in anticipation to accept their undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Inside the Coliseum
Once the venue was filled, the event’s proceedings began with a performance of the national anthem by the St. Joseph’s Sharps, followed by the invocation by Director of Campus Ministry on the Brooklyn Campus S. Marie Mackey ’84, CSJ, M.S., M.A., and a welcome from Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Heather Barry, Ph.D.
“Let us take a moment to honor the incredible contributions of our faculty. Their dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, their commitment to academic excellence and their passion for teaching has helped shape this graduating class,” Dr. Barry said.
Up next was SJNY President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., who spoke on the significance of such a momentous achievement and the path that lies beyond the doors of St. Joseph’s for the Class of 2026.
“You have accomplished something so important,” President Boomgaarden told students. “Something that will change your life and the lives of those around you. Obtaining your undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees will open new doors, make the impossible dreams possible and allow you to continue in your journey as lifelong learners.
Honoring Elyse Deublein Harney ’52
Accepting this year’s honorary doctorate was SJNY alumnae and Commencement speaker Elyse Deublein Harney ’52. As a business-minded visionary, leader and mother of five children, Mrs. Harney, now 95 years old, is a shining example of the excellence brought forth at St. Joseph’s University, New York.
Since graduating from the University’s Brooklyn Campus in 1952 with a B.A. in English, she has gone on to establish two successful businesses, serve as an impactful member of her community and create a lasting legacy in business that puts family first.
“This is what I want you, the graduating class of St. Joseph’s University 2026, to do. Go out and see the world. The world will be a better place for you. Of that I’m sure,” Harney told the graduates.
Tales of Student Success
Brooke Proffit, 23, strode into Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum with two degrees and a mission.
The master’s graduate from Miller Place earned her second degree from St. Joseph’s in just three years — this one with certifications spanning K-6 general education, special education, and English as a Second Language.
“I want to help impact my students’ lives and be the teacher that I always dream of having,” Proffit said.
She’s already putting her training to work: For the past year, she’s been the special education teacher in an integrated co-teaching third-grade classroom in Miller Place, her hometown district. Before that, she worked as a permanent substitute and short-term leave replacement.
Now, with her master’s in hand, she’s ready for the next step — a full-time elementary teaching position where she believes students will remember her the way she remembers the teachers who made a difference in her own life.
Holtsville’s Michaela Barresi leaves St. Joseph’s with a nursing degree and a resume that proves she more than showed up.
The new graduate played soccer and flag football, served as program director for the campus activities board, and joined the nursing club — building the kind of community that made her feel at home.
“I just wanted a career where I can help people,” Barresi, 21, said. “There’s so many diverse things that you can do with nursing — different paths, different things.” Her time at St. Joseph’s gave her exactly that: options, connections, and the foundation to give back in whatever direction the field takes her next.
Barresi’s classmate and close friend Vanessa Ganley, 23, of Bethpage crossed the stage to accept her own nursing degree feeling one thing above all else: relief.
She described spending years managing the relentless balancing act of schoolwork and life outside it — the hardest part of the journey, she said.
“I’m just so very grateful,” Ganley said when asked what would go through her mind when she grabbed her degree. Like Barresi, Ganley chose nursing for its endless avenues and its central promise: a career built on helping other people.
Read more student stories from the Class of 2026.
Class of 2026 Valedictorians
Speaking of student success, both the Long Island and Brooklyn valedictorians were in attendance to represent their respective campuses.
Victoria Corcoran, the Long Island valedictorian graduated with B.A. in English and a minor in journalism, legal studies and political science, while Brooklyn Valedictorian Sulabh Katila received two degrees: one in computer science and the other in mathematics, with a minor in data science.
In their own ways both valedictorians exemplify the University’s mission, adhering to its pillars of integrity, intellectual rigor, social responsibility, spiritual depth and service. Over the last four years, both have demonstrated academic and social aptitude, playing vital roles in student life and the SJNY community overall.
Graduating with 4.0 GPA, Corcoran was captain of the women’s tennis team, a member of the English honors society Sigma Tau Delta, and president of BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ).
Meanwhile, Sulabh, an international student from Nepal, was vice president of the Computer Club, a recipient of the University’s SURF program and was awarded the first-ever Joseph M. Lewinger ’00 “Mr. St. Joe’s” Scholarship for Future Educator during his time at SJNY.
Turning of the Tassels
Last but certainly not least, students were called one by one by executive deans Eileen White Jahn, Ph.D. and Phillip Dehne, Ph.D. to receive their degrees before turning their tassels — going forth as St. Joseph’s alumni and becoming a part of its ever-growing legacy.
Director of Campus Ministry on the Long Island Campus Jonathan Galo, M.A., M.T.S. delivered the benediction to close out the ceremony.
Photos from Commencement 2026
