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Comedians, activists, entrepreneurs, scientists—the Class of 2026 has a long and varied list when it comes to who they might like to see receive honorary degrees at Commencement.

More than 40 seniors shared their suggestions for the 2026 Commencement speaker and other recipients with over tacos on Sept. 30 in One Wheelock. 

Awarded during Commencement, the honorary degrees recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to their fields and to society. 

Seated in the cozy cafe, President Beilock outlined the for honorands, which starts with a call for from throughout the ���㽶��Ƶ community, and asked the seniors how they would describe their class.

“We’re trying to find folks that really embody your values,” Beilock said. “We like a wide range of people, from athletes to activists to folks in entertainment, anyone who we think would represent well what we’re doing at ���㽶��Ƶ.” 

Senior Class President and co-moderator JJ Dega ’26 highlighted the resilience of the Class of 2026, which led clubs that reemerged after the COVID-19 pandemic, came together during campus challenges and geopolitical conflicts, and are entering an unpredictable world “with a hope and a passion to improve society.”

Noting the tradition of recognizing the 50th reunion class during Commencement, and that the Class of 1976 was the first to be coed, many students said women should be especially well represented among the honorands. 

Kiara Freidberg ’26, an economics and government major, recommended looking to women founders such as Allison Ellsworth, who with her husband, Stephen Ellsworth, created the prebiotic soda company Poppi, which they recently sold to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion.

Ellsworth or others who faced unique challenges just as women entering ���㽶��Ƶ in 1976 did “could be an interesting story to tell,” Freidberg said during the discussion, which was organized by the President’s Office and the Senior Class Council. “I think founders in general embody a creative spirit that a lot of ���㽶��Ƶ students have.”

Hannah Maccarone ’26, who is majoring in psychology, anthropology, and pre-health, suggested professional rugby player Ilona Maher.

The 29-year-old Maher has been “super influential” in changing the game of women’s sports, sending a message to young women about how strong and powerful they can be, Maccarone said. “She represents a lot of things that I would love to see in a Commencement speaker.” 

Students at the meeting also mentioned Claudia Sheinbaum, the president of Mexico; former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; former first lady Michelle Obama; science educator Bill Nye; soccer legend Lionel Messi; Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression CEO Greg Lukianoff; and such performers as Bad Bunny, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jennifer Lawrence.

Owen Duncan ’26, who is majoring in anthropology with a minor in economics, said alumni honorary degree recipients send a valuable message about “what a ���㽶��Ƶ degree can do for you and the places you can go after.”

“I think that’s a very inspiring thing to see, and hear about, on a day like graduation,” said Duncan, who mentioned as a possibility the award-winning National Geographic photographer Pete McBride ’93.

The 2025 honorands were Commencement speaker award-winning actor Sandra Oh, who famously persuaded the graduates to “dance it out”; award-winning television and film producer David Benioff ’92; Olympic rower and entrepreneur Judy Geer ’75, Thayer ’83; Baptist minister and former professional baseball pitcher William Greason; former U.S. surgeon general Antonia Novello; Olympic gold medalist ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin, and former senior counselor at U.S. Department of the Interior Lynn Trujillo ’94.

���㽶��Ƶ community members are encouraged to throughout the nomination period, which ends at 5 p.m. on Oct. 17. The honorary degree recipients will be announced in the spring.