Across three ceremonies held on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9, St. John Fisher University conferred baccalaureate degrees on more than 600 members of the Class of 2026.
Before the graduates walked the stage to receive their diplomas, outgoing Board of Trustees Chair Philip Yawman received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters and delivered the keynote address during the ceremony.
Yawman became president of Cooley Group in December 2018. Under his leadership, the company was recognized in 2021 as a “Greatest Company to Work For” by the Promotional Products Association International and has earned a statewide “Best Companies to Work For” designation from the New York State Society for Human Resource Management. The company was also recognized as a Rochester Top 100 Firm for the first time in its 80-year history. He was named Small Business Person of the Year in 2023 by the Small Business Council of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Yawman retired from The Cooley Group in April 2026.
A member of Fisher’s Board since 2000, Yawman has served as chair since 2024 and was in the vice chair role from 2022-2024. He chaired several committees including Finance and Facilities, Strategic Enrollment Planning and Intercollegiate Athletics, and Academic and Faculty Affairs. During his tenure as chair, the University achieved the successful completion of Fisher Forward, its largest comprehensive fundraising campaign, raising $139 million to enhance Fisher’s campus, shape the student experience, create immediate impact, and secure Fisher’s future.
“I believe that Fisher has given way more to me than I have given to this great university and pillar of the Rochester community. St. John Fisher is an amazing place that I have truly come to love and respect over the 25 years that I have served on the Board of Trustees,” he said.
He also encouraged graduates to appreciate those who have supported them and to pass that same support along.
“It’s said that support builds bridges from where we are to where we can become and there is no greater power and support you can give someone than to look them in the eye with sincerity and say, ‘I believe in you,’” he said. “I urge you to be grateful to those who helped you get here and be proud of the others that you supported when they needed it. Support is a two-way street. Fisher is now a part of who you are forever. Your contributions and support of Fisher have made Fisher even better today than it was when you showed up.”
Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president, bestowed a President’s Medal upon Karen Zandi, president and CEO of the Mary Cariola Center.
As Rooney introduced Zandi, he noted the impact she has made on children and families in the Rochester community. She has led Mary Cariola Center in Rochester since 2012 and during her tenure, the school, resident homes, and family support services have flourished. As the regional leader in personalized, interdisciplinary, evidence-based education, and life skill solutions for people with complex disabilities, she has positioned Mary Cariola as the standard-setter in innovation that unlocks lifelong potential. Her inspiration comes from the students, residents, families, and staff of the agency who are the source of empowerment and success.
Zandi offered encouragement to the nursing graduates in her remarks.
“You are entering a profession built on service, resilience, and hope, and the world needs you now more than ever,” she said. “Go forward with confidence in what you’ve learned, humility in what you have yet to learn, and pride in the calling you have chosen.”
A highlight of Commencement are graduates who are chosen to speak on behalf of their class. At the Friday afternoon ceremony, Edward Graves, a nursing major, shared his story, speaking to the camaraderie he found with this class and encouraged his classmates to remember that they are never alone when life’s challenges come their way.
“Wherever we go from here, different hospitals, different units, and different paths, I hope we carry this with us,” he said. “That sense of camaraderie. That willingness to support each other. That reminder that even in the hardest moments, we’re never really alone.”
Hailey Gunther, a marketing graduate, addressed her classmates on Saturday morning. She centered her message around the idea of “different flights, same sky,” saying that they each have taken a unique journey to reach this moment, but will move forward together, shaped by the people who walk beside them.
“We’ve learned that success doesn’t look the same for everyone, it doesn't follow a single timeline, and it shouldn’t,” she said. “What unites us is not the pace of our journey, but the sky we share, the values, experiences, and relationships that will continue to guide us long after we leave this campus.”
Biology major Lillian Gottstine spoke to her classmates in the third ceremony and asked them to reflect on their first-year selves. She noted how distant yet familiar those versions of themselves feel, the transformation they’ve experienced during their time at Fisher, and reminded them of the strength they carry with them.
“Nothing about getting to the point of walking across this stage today was easy. We all had to endure something that challenged our identity, our direction, and our worth. However, the moments we faced didn’t break us, they built us,” she said. “So, as we all spread our wings and fly out into the world just like a cardinal, let us remember that we just don’t carry degrees in our wings, but we carry resilience. We have learned that we have the ability to step into the unknown and grow through it.”
Class of 2026 Graduates from Fisher2026-05-09T23:01:00-04:00Across three ceremonies held on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9, St. John Fisher University conferred baccalaureate degrees on more than 600 members of the Class of 2026.Before the graduates walked the stage to receive their diplomas, outgoing Board of Trustees Chair Philip Yawman received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters and delivered the keynote address during the ceremony.
Yawman became president of Cooley Group in December 2018. Under his leadership, the company was recognized in 2021 as a “Greatest Company to Work For” by the Promotional Products Association International and has earned a statewide “Best Companies to Work For” designation from the New York State Society for Human Resource Management. The company was also recognized as a Rochester Top 100 Firm for the first time in its 80-year history. He was named Small Business Person of the Year in 2023 by the Small Business Council of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Yawman retired from The Cooley Group in April 2026.
A member of Fisher’s Board since 2000, Yawman has served as chair since 2024 and was in the vice chair role from 2022-2024. He chaired several committees including Finance and Facilities, Strategic Enrollment Planning and Intercollegiate Athletics, and Academic and Faculty Affairs. During his tenure as chair, the University achieved the successful completion of Fisher Forward, its largest comprehensive fundraising campaign, raising $139 million to enhance Fisher’s campus, shape the student experience, create immediate impact, and secure Fisher’s future.
“I believe that Fisher has given way more to me than I have given to this great university and pillar of the Rochester community. St. John Fisher is an amazing place that I have truly come to love and respect over the 25 years that I have served on the Board of Trustees,” he said.
He also encouraged graduates to appreciate those who have supported them and to pass that same support along.
“It’s said that support builds bridges from where we are to where we can become and there is no greater power and support you can give someone than to look them in the eye with sincerity and say, ‘I believe in you,’” he said. “I urge you to be grateful to those who helped you get here and be proud of the others that you supported when they needed it. Support is a two-way street. Fisher is now a part of who you are forever. Your contributions and support of Fisher have made Fisher even better today than it was when you showed up.”
Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president, bestowed a President’s Medal upon Karen Zandi, president and CEO of the Mary Cariola Center.
As Rooney introduced Zandi, he noted the impact she has made on children and families in the Rochester community. She has led Mary Cariola Center in Rochester since 2012 and during her tenure, the school, resident homes, and family support services have flourished. As the regional leader in personalized, interdisciplinary, evidence-based education, and life skill solutions for people with complex disabilities, she has positioned Mary Cariola as the standard-setter in innovation that unlocks lifelong potential. Her inspiration comes from the students, residents, families, and staff of the agency who are the source of empowerment and success.
Zandi offered encouragement to the nursing graduates in her remarks.
“You are entering a profession built on service, resilience, and hope, and the world needs you now more than ever,” she said. “Go forward with confidence in what you’ve learned, humility in what you have yet to learn, and pride in the calling you have chosen.”
A highlight of Commencement are graduates who are chosen to speak on behalf of their class. At the Friday afternoon ceremony, Edward Graves, a nursing major, shared his story, speaking to the camaraderie he found with this class and encouraged his classmates to remember that they are never alone when life’s challenges come their way.
“Wherever we go from here, different hospitals, different units, and different paths, I hope we carry this with us,” he said. “That sense of camaraderie. That willingness to support each other. That reminder that even in the hardest moments, we’re never really alone.”
Hailey Gunther, a marketing graduate, addressed her classmates on Saturday morning. She centered her message around the idea of “different flights, same sky,” saying that they each have taken a unique journey to reach this moment, but will move forward together, shaped by the people who walk beside them.
“We’ve learned that success doesn’t look the same for everyone, it doesn't follow a single timeline, and it shouldn’t,” she said. “What unites us is not the pace of our journey, but the sky we share, the values, experiences, and relationships that will continue to guide us long after we leave this campus.”
Biology major Lillian Gottstine spoke to her classmates in the third ceremony and asked them to reflect on their first-year selves. She noted how distant yet familiar those versions of themselves feel, the transformation they’ve experienced during their time at Fisher, and reminded them of the strength they carry with them.
“Nothing about getting to the point of walking across this stage today was easy. We all had to endure something that challenged our identity, our direction, and our worth. However, the moments we faced didn’t break us, they built us,” she said. “So, as we all spread our wings and fly out into the world just like a cardinal, let us remember that we just don’t carry degrees in our wings, but we carry resilience. We have learned that we have the ability to step into the unknown and grow through it.”/media/news-images/spring-2026/may/Undergraduate-Header.jpg
