Utah State University Moab Celebrates 2026 Graduating Class

Utah State University Moab is proud to have celebrated its class of 2026 on Thursday, April 23 as part of USU’s 139th commencement ceremony. The USU Moab Class of 2026 had 28 individuals who completed the requirements for a degree and/or certificate.

This year’s class earned 16 undergraduate certificates, one graduate certificate, and 6 associate, 7 bachelor’s, 3 master’s, and 1 doctorate degree. USU Moab Interim Associate Vice President Samantha Campbell began the ceremony by welcoming graduates and their families.

“Welcome to this distinguished gathering, where we honor the brilliance, the dedication, and the sheer audacity of our students who have dared to dream, dared to strive, and dared to excel,” said Samantha Campbell, interim associate vice president for USU Moab. “There are many factors that contribute to the quality of USU Moab. Most important is the quality of our students who exemplify perseverance, commitment, and the ability to engage in self-directed learning.”

USU Moab celebrated the graduates with a ceremony at Hoodoo Moab Hotel. After Campbell began the ceremony, Brooke Osbourne, associate professor of Environment and Society, introduced the student speaker. The speaker was Savannah Adkins, who graduated with a doctorate degree in biology and ecology.

In her address, Adkins applauded her fellow graduates for their perseverance, hard work and determination. She said, although they may not have shared classes together, she saw the sacrifice each person put into achieving their dream of a degree.

“Day after day, I watched you work hard, even when the circumstances were far from ideal,” she said “And week after week, I watched you persevere when the going got tough and you kept showing up anyway. Witnessing that kind of steady and unrelenting determination was nothing short of extraordinary.”

Adkins then recounted how, during her treatment for type-1 diabetes, she was taken care of by many people who were USU Moab graduates. She shared this to drive home to the graduates just how valued their contributions will be in the local community and how their determination has prepared them to make an impact in the decades to come.

“I truly believe that each and every one of you are needed in our communities,” Adkins said. “You, Class of 2026, give me so much hope for the future, and I have no doubt that the world will be a better place because of you. The persistence, and drive, and dedication you have shown, while also balancing the full weight of life and all that it throws at you, has prepared you to be a guiding light during someone else’s time of need.”

Campbell then introduced the keynote speaker, Colin Fryer– local rancher, retired business owner and former Moab Business of the Year and Citizen of the Year winner.

Fryer began his speech by iterating that he himself was a college dropout. But the skills he learned in his early college days led him to get the first job of his career. He would later use the money he earned to follow his passion of ranching. He told the graduates that although college graduation didn’t quite work out, higher education afforded him the opportunity to get his start.

“I didn’t know it at the time, but this was my big break that would shape the next 25 years of my life,” he said. “The opportunity came and I took it. I’m very humbly grateful for that opportunity and all the great people I worked with and all the experiences and challenges, wonderful memories.”

He then implored the graduates to pay attention and be aware. He shared with them three things of which to be aware: awareness of who they are and the life they imagine; awareness of the skills they will need; and awareness of the steps they need to take to achieve their goals.

He implored them to stay persistent, and to live their lives to the fullest, always chasing dreams and seek the important things in life.

“Go out there and, make good choices,” he closed. “But if you can’t make good choices, then at least make good stories and colorful memories.”

USU President Brad L. Mortensen then shared a short message and conferred upon the students their degrees. Once the graduates received their diplomas, Whitney Boudrero, senior director of Alumni Engagement, delivered a welcome address from the USU Alumni Association.

Located in the outdoor recreation paradise of Moab and boasting one of the greenest buildings on any USU campus, Utah State University Moab offers students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university. With programs such as Nursing, Elementary Education, Recreation Resource Management and Social Work, technical education in Health Professions, Automotive and Business, and degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees, USU Moab offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at moab.usu.edu.