Utah State University Southwest Celebrates 2026 Graduating Class

RICHFIELD, Utah– Utah State University Southwest is proud to have celebrated its class of 2026 on April 16 as part of USU’s 139th commencement ceremony. The graduation ceremony was held at Richfield High School.

The Southwest Region’s class of 2026 consists of 74 individuals earning two undergraduate certificates and 7 associate, 44 bachelor’s, 22 master’s and one doctorate degree.

David Vernon, senior associate vice president for the USU Southwest and Wasatch Regions, began the ceremony by welcoming graduates.

“Today is a special occasion to recognize and celebrate your incredible accomplishments,” Vernon said. “Graduates, think about how far you've come since joining the Aggie family — where you started, the challenges you've overcome, and the person you've become. Each of you has a powerful story — one of hard work, sacrifice, and persistence, all fueled by your hope for a better future.”

Vernon then introduced student speakers Trenton Stephensen and Whitney McKay, both of whom were also student ambassadors. Stephensen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and McKay graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

Stephensen spoke on optimism, stating that– while some view optimism as a character trait that one either has or does not– he views it as a conscious choice that is made every day.

“Being an optimist means choosing to give your best to something, even when you have no guarantee it will work out,” Stephensen said. “It's choosing to look at a setback and ask ‘what now’ instead of ‘why me?’ It's choosing to look for the light in the dark, even when it's hard to see.”

Stephensen went on to share a personal story from his youth about learning to rope steers. A neighbor helped him change his mindset after he began to become discouraged with his lack of success. He challenged his fellow graduates to see obstacles as possibilities.

“If you let discouragement and pessimism take over, they'll lose the battle for you every single time,” he said. “Be the ones who keep going when the path isn't clear. Be the ones who choose to be optimistic. Optimism is what makes the unknown feel possible.”

McKay then gave her address. She shared with the audience how a near-death experience coupled with the encouraging words of a friend inspired her to go back to school to complete her degree.

“It was that tiny bit of hope that someone saw in me and the desire to give my boys a better life that got me to go back,” she said. “If it weren’t for my incredible family and close friends, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

McKay went on to state that although each graduate took a different path to achieve their goal, they also shared similar experiences that led them to the graduation stage.

“Let’s move forward and honor our experiences at USU Southwest,” she said. “Let’s celebrate our win of achieving our goals by creating a better world for ourselves and those we love.”

The students then heard the commencement speech, given by Zak Konakis, department head of the School of Professional and Technical Education. In the speech, Konakis first shared how, with their degrees, these students have been armed with skills and knowledge that have been attained through their educational journey. He called these earned degrees the “ultimate survival kit.”

“This degree is packed with knowledge, resilience, and proof of adaptability,” he said. “And the evidence that with enough time and caffeine, you can conquer anything.”

He then went on to share three essential lessons from higher education that he encouraged students to continue to practice. These practices were: lifelong learning, paying it forward, and welcoming the challenges you will face as opportunities to succeed.

“Keep learning like life depends on it, because in the best way, it does,” he concluded. “Pay it forward and help cultivate the beliefs that carried you here. And when challenges knock, open the door with a grin and say, ‘Took you long enough, now let's go.’”

USU Provost and Executive Vice President Laurens H. Smith then provided 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.

With locations in Beaver, Bicknell, Cedar City, Delta, Ephraim, Junction, Kanab, Nephi, Panguitch, Richfield, and St. George, Utah State University provides higher education access to rural communities via USU Southwest. With degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees and technical education opportunities, USU offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at southwest.usu.edu.