By Marcus Jensen | Utah State University | Photo by Levi Sim | Utah State University
Utah State University Eastern is proud to have celebrated its class of 2026 on Saturday, April 25 as part of USU’s 139th commencement ceremony. The class of 2026 consists of 383 individuals earning 218 associate, 50 bachelor’s, and 9 master’s degrees, and 152 certificates.
“You have earned our admiration,” Kristian Olsen, deputy vice president for Statewide Residential Campuses, told students to open the ceremony. “Through discipline and grit, and many late night study sessions, you have completed the requirements for degrees and certificates and have prepared yourself for a bright future.”
USU Eastern celebrated graduates with a ceremony inside the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center. Olsen welcomed the graduates and introduced the keynote and the student speakers.
The first student speaker was valedictorian Davian Dix, who graduated with an Associate of Science degree.Dix, who is also a member of the USU Eastern women’s soccer team, opened her speech recounting a story from her senior year in high school. While on the pitch for training one afternoon, a stranger approached her and told her that he admired her skill and potential to continue on at the collegiate level. Dix said this interaction had a profound effect on her.
“I’m not telling you this story to convince you I’m good at soccer,” she told the crowd. “I’m telling you this story, because if a stranger can recognize another stranger’s potential, then there’s no reason why you or I can’t recognize our own potential.”
Dix said that after this interaction, she embraced the idea that she was capable of more than she thought. She began to challenge herself to reach farther than she thought possible. She encouraged her fellow graduates to push themselves, believe in themselves, and bet on themselves.
“It’s so easy to label yourself as insignificant or assume you weren’t made for great things,” she said. “Well, I’m here to tell you that that is far from the truth. Each and every one of you has limitless potential. It’s simply a matter of putting forth your best effort, even if that effort looks different each day.
Brooklyn Mackay, USUSA Eastern regional vice president, was the ceremony’s second speaker. Mackay likened graduation to the end of a Disney movie, where everything finally came together despite the odds against the protagonist. The students started on their path without the necessary tools or roadmap, but found their way through friends and experiences along the way. Although the initial journey was at an end, she told the graduates that the challenges will continue to come and they must continue to take risks and chase their dreams. She issued them the following challenge:
“Take the chance, apply for the thing you think you’re not ready for, try something you might not be good at yet, say yes to opportunities that scare you just a little because those are the moments that change everything,” she said. “One day, when you look back on your story, those risks will be the times that stand out the most.”
After the student speeches, Olsen awarded the Val J. Halamandaris Caring Award to Jacelynn Rose, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion and Education.
The keynote speaker was Laurens H. Smith, USU’s provost and executive vice president. In his message, Smith used his expertise in physiology and anatomy, as well as his experience as an education administrator, to relay several takeaways to the graduates.
He reminded graduates that, because they had exercised their brains, they are intellectually stronger and better thinkers than they were before. He told them to continue to be curious and continue their pursuit of achieving their full potential. He told the graduates to use both their brains and hearts in decision making and problem solving.
He closed his speech by challenging graduates to ask themselves one question each night: ask yourself if today, you did enough to make a difference.
“Making a difference can happen in small, easily achievable ways,” he said. “It can mean you stay calm and patient when confronted with a problem. Instead of rushing to judgment, you take time to ask questions until answers run out. It can mean admitting you don’t know something instead of pretending to, which only fuels ignorance.
“Maybe you stopped yourself from being petty or peevish. Maybe you treat others with respect, compassion, and understanding. Maybe you use optimism, humor, and humility throughout your days. And maybe you tell someone you love them before it’s too late.”
He urged the graduates to be uncommon and to use the countless small ways to make big differences.
“May you find happiness, peace and prosperity using the skills and knowledge from your educational experience right here,” he said.
After the speech, USU President Brad L. Mortensen then provided a short message and conferred upon the students their degrees. Once the graduates received their diplomas, Ryan Dent, president of the USU Alumni Advisory Board, delivered a welcome address.