About 670 Carthage College students took part in Commencement weekend May 22-23, as the Class of 2026 reveled in its well-earned success.
Carthage held a variety of events to congratulate its newest bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients. Several thousand proud family members and friends came to the lakeside campus to support their graduates.
The main Commencement ceremony on Friday evening included the verbal conferral of degrees by President John Swallow and a powerful senior class address by Marcus Stubbs ’26. Grateful that the College took a chance on him, the Distinguished Senior described his transformation over the past four years.
“When I first arrived on campus, I thought success meant putting my head down and working as hard as possible on my own,” Marcus said. “But real success isn’t being hard-headed and stubborn and doing it your own way — it’s making yourself available to learn from other people.”
Marcus highlighted the Mock Trial teammates, professors, shuttle drivers, and even the stranger who fetched a pair of protective glasses for him to enjoy the total solar eclipse as prime examples of Carthage’s supportive community. He urged his fellow graduates to embrace the opportunities ahead of them and then return the favor.
During the ceremony, Carthage also recognized two members of the community for decades of professional achievements and impactful service:
Retired businessman and Carthage trustee emeritus Robert A. Cornog received an honorary Doctor of Laws.
The following day, Carthage held divisional graduation ceremonies in the Field House. Highlights included the traditional stage procession for individual graduates, along with remarks from faculty speakers selected by the graduating class.
Other special guests for the weekend included the Rev. Brian E. Konkol, a Wisconsin native who was appointed president of Valparaiso University earlier this year. He delivered the sermon at Carthage’s annual Baccalaureate worship service.
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