Utah State University Blanding Celebrates 2026 Graduating Class

Utah State University Blanding is proud to have celebrated its class of 2026 on Friday, April 25 as part of USU’s 139th commencement ceremony. The USU Blanding Class of 2026 consists of 158 individuals earning 49 associate, 13 bachelor’s, and 8 master’s degrees and 111 undergraduate and three graduate certificates.

“Today is a meaningful occasion to celebrate and recognize your remarkable achievements,” said Donna Blake, interim associate vice president of USU Blanding, in her opening statement. “Reflect on how far you’ve come since becoming a part of the Aggie family – where you began, the obstacles you’ve faced, and the person you’ve grown into. Each of you carries your own powerful story – one shaped by dedication, sacrifice, and perseverance, all driven by your vision for a brighter future.”

USU Blanding celebrated graduates with a ceremony at San Juan High School. Blake welcomed the graduates and introduced the student speaker, Raquel Dandy. Dandy graduated with an Associate of Science degree.

To begin her speech, Dandy recounted her non-traditional road toward the graduation stage. She began her associate degree right after high school but left before completing it. She would go on to work as a nanny on the east coast of the U.S. for more than a decade. After this experience, she felt the desire to come back home to Utah and finish her degree.

She spoke of the inspiration she got from family. First, from her parents, who were both educators. Next was her cousin Troy, who finally encouraged her to enroll at USU Blanding. He was also an inspiration for Dandy’s brother to earn a CDL license.

“Troy inspired me by his own example, and his support and reminded me that it is never too late to begin again,” Dandy said. “Sometimes one person’s encouragement can change the direction of an entire family, and Troy was that person for us.”

Dandy closed by encouraging her fellow graduates and other students to continue to work hard and finish the things they start.

Blake then introduced the commencement speaker, Kristian Olsen, deputy vice president for Residential Statewide Campuses. In his address, Olsen spoke to graduates about their college journey, and the lessons they can glean about life by constantly moving forward.

It’s an interesting thing in life,” he began. “We often think we have to have everything figured out before we move forward. But the opposite is true. By moving forward, we figure things out. And somewhere along the way, I realized something else: There’s no such thing as failure. There’s only learning. As long as you’re learning, you’re not failing.”

Olsen then shared with the graduates several life lessons he has learned that he hopes can be of help. The first was to be “responsibly irresponsible”, which is to say being curious, willing to try new things and to push boundaries. The second lesson was to be encouraging and supportive not only to others, but to yourself. The final lessons were to love deeply and always develop an attitude of gratitude. He closed with a final plea:

“Keep learning, keep loving, keep going; Keep being responsibly irresponsible. And keep being the amazing person you are,” he said. “You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to take the next step. And then the next one.”

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.

Offering residential campus housing and dining, Utah State University Blanding gives students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university, all while providing award-winning education. With degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees, plus technical education offerings in Business, Technical Trades and Health Professions, USU Blanding offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at blanding.usu.edu.