‘These are urgent times’: Saint Michael’s College Class of 2026 encouraged to act with courage, hope, and purpose after graduation

Internationally recognized advocate for girls’ education, Shabana Basij-Rasikh, illustrated to the Saint Michael’s College Class of 2026 just how precious access to education can be in some parts of the world during her remarks at the College’s 119th Commencement.

Basij-Rasikh, who co-founded the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), had fought for her own education while growing up under Taliban rule. She attended secret schools run by women in her hometown of Kabul until the age of 12 because, up until then, the Taliban rulers prohibited girls’ education. The Taliban eventually fell when Basij-Rasikh was a pre-teen, but more recently, in 2021, they returned to power.

Internationally recognized advocate for girls’ education and founder of the first-ever boarding school for Afghan girls, Shabana Basij-Rasikh, offers remarks to the Saint Michael’s College Class of 2026 during Commencement on Sunday, May 10, 2026. (Photo by Jerry Swope/for Saint Michael’s College)

Basij-Rasikh delivered her remarks before a crowd of more than 300 graduates and their families, as well as Saint Michael’s faculty and staff, during the May 10 ceremony.

“My cause is education, girls’ education, and there are no days like today for girls in Afghanistan,” Basij-Rasikh said. “Women don’t attend college. Girls don’t attend school past 6th grade. This is the Taliban’s law.”

Watch a video recap of the 2026 Commencement ceremony. Story continues below.

‘You don’t need to be afraid anymore’

Luwago Kaiza Kipingi of Leominster, Massachusetts, holds up his diploma after crossing the stage during Commencement at Saint Michael’s College on Sunday, May 10, 2026. (Photo by Jerry Swope/for Saint Michael’s College)

After the Taliban fell, Basij-Rasikh was able to attend a real school for the first time, and she remembers the bold way the leader of that school was dressed on that first day – professional attire with a silk scarf on her hair and makeup, “bright red lipstick.”

“That day, the first day of school, she dressed the way she did to send a message to every girl who was in that courtyard: you don’t need to be afraid anymore,” Basij-Rasikh said.

It’s this courage and hope that Basij-Rasikh later carried with her to the U.S. for a year of high school before attending Middlebury College, and she has turned that hope into action through SOLA.

“I’ve devoted my life to the lesson my principal taught me that day in the courtyard,” Basij-Rasikh said. “I created SOLA as the first and only boarding school for Afghan girls on Earth. I created it as a place where girls from every Afghan province, girls from every ethnic background, all these girls could come to us and live and learn together. I created SOLA as a place where Afghan girls would meet the sisters they never knew they had.”

Basij-Rasikh urged members of the Class of 2026 to find their own causes and act on them. 

“The world you walk into is a very different world than the one that existed when you arrived here at Saint Michael’s,” she said. She added, “If I speak with urgency, it’s because these are urgent times. You are the graduates of a truly extraordinary school, and today, and for the days to come, your task is to hold the hope for a different future, and your task is to make that future real.”

Qualities that ‘cannot be downloaded’ 

Other speakers, including College President Richard Plumb, Graduate Address speaker Hayley Jensen of Washingtonville, New York, and Undergraduate Address speaker Joelle Cameron of West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, reflected on how the community and growth the students found at Saint Michael’s College will serve the Class of 2026 well into the future.

“You are graduating into a world that will ask a great deal of you,” Plumb said. “Artificial intelligence can generate information instantly. It can draft the memo, summarize the report, and make the argument. What it cannot do is tell you which questions are worth asking. It cannot give you judgment, moral courage, or integrity.”

He added, “Those qualities cannot be downloaded. They must be formed, practiced, and lived. That is exactly what you have been doing here.”

Saint Michael’s College professors, including Sociology Professor Candas Pinar (center) applaud graduates in the Class of 2026 as they process into the ceremony on Sunday, May 10, 2026. (Photo by Teddy Vretzakis ’29/Saint Michael’s College)

Cameron and Jensen both spoke about the community they found at Saint Michael’s College – supportive faculty and staff, lasting friendships through clubs and athletics, and experiences that cannot be duplicated elsewhere, such as Saint Michael’s Fire & Rescue.

“Our professors have prepared us for not only what our future careers hold for us, but for the moments when the answers aren’t in the back of the book,” said Cameron, a member of Saint Michael’s Rescue. “They’ve taught us how to think critically, how to stay curious when things get complicated, and to find joy in what we are passionate about.”

Jensen said she’s bringing the lessons fostered by St. Mike’s into her own teaching philosophy – including how to build supportive, inclusive, and safe communities.

“I believe the most meaningful thing you will build after today isn’t a resume,” Jensen said. “It is the culture of compassion you carry into every room you enter. It is the resilience you spark in other people simply by making sure they know their voice matters. When we lead with the heart, we don’t just create a smarter world – we create a kinder one.”

Cassie Lathrope of Trumbull, Connecticut, reacts with excitement as she and her classmates in the Saint Michael’s College Class of 2026 approach the stage to receive their diplomas. (Photo by Teddy Vretzakis ’29/Saint Michael’s College)

Other Commencement highlights

Several students were recognized for their achievements during the ceremony. Two awards recognized students in the graduating class who demonstrate commitment and achievement related to the intellectual, spiritual, moral, and social values of Saint Michael’s College. The recipients were:

• Father Prevel Memorial Award: Nicholas M. Wracker of Columbia, South Carolina. 
• Katherine Fairbanks Memorial Award: Angeljolee “Jojo” W. Carter of Oakdale, Connecticut. 

Six students who maintained an average GPA of 4.0 were also recognized:

• Kathleen R. Dean of Auburn, Maine. 
• Sarah E. Gardella of Hampden, Maine.  
• Lawton J. Jones of Williston, Vermont.  
• Megan E. Koren of Portland, Maine.  
• Victoria G. Reed of Alburgh, Vermont. 
• Eleanor G. Workman of Underhill, Vermont. 

Saint Michael’s College graduates with the Class of 2026 process into Commencement in the rain on Sunday, May 10, 2026. The sun later peeked out from behind the clouds following the ceremony. (Photo by Jerry Swope/for Saint Michael’s College)

In addition to Commencement speaker Basij-Rasikh, two others received honorary degrees during the ceremony, including:

• Donald R. “Don” Dion, Jr., Esq. ’76 — Investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and former Saint Michael’s College trustee. 
• Richard E. “Rich” Tarrant ’65 (posthumously) — Entrepreneur, philanthropist, former trustee, and one of the most celebrated athletes in Saint Michael’s College history. Accepted by his wife, Deborah Tarrant. 

About Saint Michael’s College 

Saint Michael’s College, founded in 1904 on principles of social justice and leading lives of purpose and consequence, is a selective, Catholic college just outside Burlington, Vermont, one of the country’s best college towns. Located between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, our closely connected community guarantees housing all four years and delivers an internationally respected liberal arts education, preparing students for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. Young adults here grow intellectually, socially, and morally, learning to lead with empathy and professionalism, and to be responsible for themselves, each other, and their world.