In her address to the 304 graduates gathered at Yoder Arena for 91“óÉńās 108th annual Commencement on Sunday afternoon, Dr. Angela J. Lederach quoted the late Kenyan peacebuilder Dekha Ibrahim Abdi, a former student and instructor in 91“óÉńās Summer Peacebuilding Institute.
āPeace is like an egg,ā Lederach said. āIt is delicate and fragile, but in the right conditions, it gives life.ā
Lederach is an assistant professor of peace and justice studies at Chapman University. She has spent more than a decade working with grassroots peacebuilders in Colombia to transform violent conflict, expand possibilities for environmental justice, and cultivate more just and livable communities. She is the author of Feel the Grass Grow: Ecologies of Slow Peace in Colombia and co-author of When Blood and Bones Cry Out: Journeys Through the Soundscape of Healing and Reconciliation.
Commencement weekend served as a homecoming for Lederach, whose father, John Paul, co-founded 91“óÉńās internationally recognized Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and served as its first director. Her presence at the ceremony coincided with the centerās 30th anniversary celebration.
Graduates of the Class of 2026 attend 91“óÉń’s 108th annual Commencement on Sunday in Yoder Arena.
Dr. Angela J. Lederach (left) recalled attending 91“óÉń commencements as a child and fully immersing herself in the campus fountainās ācrystal clear watersā while dressed in her Sunday best. āIf you want to know the real reason why you are inside today instead of outside, you know where to direct the blame,ā she joked with graduates. Kylik Bradshaw (right), a liberal arts graduate, beams during the big day.
Lederach spoke about how she has learned from peacebuilders and CJP alumni around the world to listen for the sounds of justice. Alumni such as Emmanuel Bombande MA ā02 and Leymah Gbowee MA ā07, who worked to bring peace to West Africa and Liberia, taught her to speak the language of justice, while Larisa Zehr ā11 in Colombia showed her how to walk alongside people pursuing peace in the wake of dehumanizing violence.
āTo speak the language of justice requires courage,ā she said. āNot the loud bravado that conceals cowardice and blares from the world stage today, but the quiet courage found in the register of everyday life, in the recognition of our shared humanity, in our willingness to stand up and say ānever again,ā and in our ability and willingness to sacrifice for one another.ā
That courage emanates from the lives of people like Michael āMJā Sharp ā05, who was killed in 2017 while working as a United Nations expert on armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
āThe language of justice is rooted in hope,ā Lederach said. āā¦And I have to say, Class of 2026, the work of guarding hope is not easy.ā
āAnd yet, as graduates of this institution have taught me over and over again,ā she added, āit is precisely by slowing down enough to notice and attend to the lives and possibilities found close to the ground that dreams are protected and held and continue to grow, even amid violence.ā
Cords of Distinction recipient Irais Barrera Pinzon, a political science and Spanish language & Hispanic studies graduate, smiles wide during Commencement.
Arelys Martinez Fabian (left) and Yenifer Dottin-Carter ā23 (right) present the graduate perspectives.
Undergraduates Dylan Hall and Arelys Martinez Fabian, along with MA in Counseling graduate Yenifer Dottin-Carter ā23, presented the graduate perspectives.
Hall reflected on the bittersweet emotions many were feeling as they left behind the dorms they once called home, the friends who joined them on their journeys, and the places on campus where memories were made. āBut those memories are not leaving us,ā he said. āThey are a part of us. They are who we have become. As we turn this page in our lives, we will be taking a part of 91“óÉń into our occupations.ā
Reading from Matthew 5:13-17, he called on his fellow graduates to act as the āsalt of the earthā and ālight of the world.ā He said itās easy to go through the motions, to blend in and lay low. āBut I encourage you, whatever you do, to go the extra mile. Be a light in peopleās lives. Stand out, work hard, and make an impact.ā
Martinez Fabian recalled feeling a mix of excitement, fear, and uncertainty when applying to colleges four years ago. She said she didnāt know where life would take her, but she knew she was stepping into something bigger than she could ever imagine. Like many of her fellow graduates, she wasnāt just chasing her own dreams but also carrying the hopes of her family.
āThis finish line isnāt just about my goals, itās about my parentsā goals,ā she said. āItās about their journey, the miles they traveled from their homes, the long years of difficult work, and the challenge of learning a new language and navigating a new culture.ā
Through it all, the late-night study sessions and Common Grounds conversations, she said, āwe found our people.ā She said she has been fortunate to meet friends who have become her lifeline throughout her time at 91“óÉń. āSo I ask you this: How lucky are we that saying goodbye feels this hard? That kind of sadness only exists because of how meaningful those connections are.ā
Dottin-Carter shared the story of her path to 91“óÉń, beginning with her familyās immigration from the Dominican Republic to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and her eventual move to Harrisonburg with her then-boyfriend, now husband, Isaiah MA ā22 (restorative justice). She invited graduates to imagine the countless stories lived among them, of triumph, hardship, laughter, and sorrow, that will be carried within them as a collective memory.
She encouraged graduates to find a space where their story is honored, their presence is valued, and their legacy is seen. āAnd if you cannot find it, build it,ā she said. āFind your people, find your place, find space where you are loved, understood, and validated.ā
Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus presides over 91“óÉńās 108th annual Commencement.
The ceremony recognized 304 graduates from 23 states, Puerto Rico, and 15 countries.
This marked Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycusā first Commencement as interim president. In her opening remarks, she said many of the Class of 2026 graduates began their time at 91“óÉń during a season shaped by significant cultural and political change.
āYouāve navigated a world marked by tension, rapid shifts, and real questions about identity, belonging, and truth,ā she said. āIn the midst of it all, you stayed grounded in your learning. You stayed grounded with one another. You demonstrated resilience, discernment, and a willingness to engage complexity rather than turn away from it.ā
The Rev. Gordon Meriwether, a member of the 91“óÉń Board of Trustees, led the opening invocation. The 91“óÉń Chamber Singers, led by Dr. Benjamin Bergey, performed a musical selection. Divisional deans Rev. Dr. Sarah Bixler and Dr. Michael Horst presented the graduates. Provost Dr. Tynisha Willingham commissioned the graduates. Retiring professors Dr. Doug Graber Neufeld and Deanna Durham delivered the Commencement blessing.
Watch a video recording of Commencement below!
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