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A graduate in a cap, gown, and gold USM stole stands in the staging area at Cross Insurance Arena, looking ahead before the processional begins.

The Class of 2026, by the Numbers

On May 9, thousands of people packed Cross Insurance Arena for USM’s 146th Commencement ceremony. Keep reading to see the Class of 2026 by the numbers.

A portrait of USM senior Deklin Fitzgerald with illustrated graduation cap and tassel, part of the Class of '26 commencement series.

Class of ’26: Where There’s a Will, There’s Deklin Fitzgerald

Last September, USM senior Deklin Fitzgerald stood in front of more than 700 people and told his story — and when he stepped offstage, strangers approached him one after another to say the same thing: “I feel seen.” Keep reading to find out how four years of saying yes to just about everything led him there.

Christina Hart smiles while holding the hand of a simulation dummy, demonstrating patient care and compassion in the nursing lab.

From Nursing Student to Professor: Christina Hart’s Accelerated Path Back to USM

The first time Christina Hart walked into Masterton Hall in 2002, she was a nursing student unsure if she belonged. Keep reading to see how, 23 years later, she’s back as a USM professor guiding the next generation.