Class of 2026 caps weekend of celebration at Final Exercises

Students from the School of Medicine, School of Law, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Darden School of Business, School of Architecture, School of Nursing, McIntire School of Commerce, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and School of Data Science received their degrees on Sunday.

During two days of ceremonies, UVA conferred 8,053 degrees, including 4,797 undergraduate diplomas. For comprehensive coverage of the full weekend’s events, plus profiles of the Class of 2026 students, visit UVA Today’s Final Exercises page.

McIntire School of Commerce associate professor Sherri Moore addressed graduates at Sunday’s ceremony, bringing out a physical road map as a prop for her speech. She told graduates that life is not clearly mapped out like GPS turn-by-turn directions.

“Sometimes the moments that disappoint us become the very moments that transform our lives,” she said. Moore closed with a simple instruction: “Enjoy the drive.”

In his remarks, UVA President Scott Beardsley urged graduates to seek connections across differences. Drawing on his career in which he worked across four continents, he argued that commonality is a more productive starting point than division.

“After UVA, you will meet people who don’t look like you, speak like you, think like you or vote like you,” Beardsley said. “As you make your way, I urge you to remember this moment – and to seek shared ground.”

For McIntire School graduate Neha Jagasia, that shared ground was something she spent four years building.

“I’ve definitely gained more of a community during my time here,” she said. “It has allowed me to truly take on any ambition that I want and have the strength to approach anything and take risks.”