“Peace is like an egg,” Lederach said. “It is delicate and fragile, but in the right conditions, it gives life.”

Lederach is an assistant professor of peace and justice studies at Chapman University. She has spent more than a decade working with grassroots peacebuilders in Colombia to transform violent conflict, expand possibilities for environmental justice, and cultivate more just and livable communities. She is the author of Feel the Grass Grow: Ecologies of Slow Peace in Colombia and co-author of When Blood and Bones Cry Out: Journeys Through the Soundscape of Healing and Reconciliation.

Commencement weekend served as a homecoming for Lederach, whose father, John Paul, co-founded EMU’s internationally recognized Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and served as its first director. Her presence at the ceremony coincided with the center’s 30th anniversary celebration.

Graduates of the Class of 2026 attend EMU’s 108th annual Commencement on Sunday in Yoder Arena.

Dr. Angela J. Lederach (left) recalled attending EMU commencements as a child and fully immersing herself in the campus fountain’s “crystal clear waters” while dressed in her Sunday best. “If you want to know the real reason why you are inside today instead of outside, you know where to direct the blame,” she joked with graduates. Kylik Bradshaw (right), a liberal arts graduate, beams during the big day.

Lederach spoke about how she has learned from peacebuilders and CJP alumni around the world to listen for the sounds of justice. Alumni such as Emmanuel Bombande MA ’02 and Leymah Gbowee MA ’07, who worked to bring peace to West Africa and Liberia, taught her to speak the language of justice, while Larisa Zehr ’11 in Colombia showed her how to walk alongside people pursuing peace in the wake of dehumanizing violence.

“To speak the language of justice requires courage,” she said. “Not the loud bravado that conceals cowardice and blares from the world stage today, but the quiet courage found in the register of everyday life, in the recognition of our shared humanity, in our willingness to stand up and say ‘never again,’ and in our ability and willingness to sacrifice for one another.”

That courage emanates from the lives of people like Michael “MJ” Sharp ’05, who was killed in 2017 while working as a United Nations expert on armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“The language of justice is rooted in hope,” Lederach said. “…And I have to say, Class of 2026, the work of guarding hope is not easy.”

“And yet, as graduates of this institution have taught me over and over again,” she added, “it is precisely by slowing down enough to notice and attend to the lives and possibilities found close to the ground that dreams are protected and held and continue to grow, even amid violence.”

Cords of Distinction recipient Irais Barrera Pinzon, a political science and Spanish language & Hispanic studies graduate, smiles wide during Commencement.

Arelys Martinez Fabian (left) and Yenifer Dottin-Carter ’23 (right) present the graduate perspectives.

Undergraduates Dylan Hall and Arelys Martinez Fabian, along with MA in Counseling graduate Yenifer Dottin-Carter ’23, presented the graduate perspectives.

Hall reflected on the bittersweet emotions many were feeling as they left behind the dorms they once called home, the friends who joined them on their journeys, and the places on campus where memories were made. “But those memories are not leaving us,” he said. “They are a part of us. They are who we have become. As we turn this page in our lives, we will be taking a part of EMU into our occupations.”

Reading from Matthew 5:13-17, he called on his fellow graduates to act as the “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.” He said it’s easy to go through the motions, to blend in and lay low. “But I encourage you, whatever you do, to go the extra mile. Be a light in people’s lives. Stand out, work hard, and make an impact.”

Martinez Fabian recalled feeling a mix of excitement, fear, and uncertainty when applying to colleges four years ago. She said she didn’t know where life would take her, but she knew she was stepping into something bigger than she could ever imagine. Like many of her fellow graduates, she wasn’t just chasing her own dreams but also carrying the hopes of her family.

“This finish line isn’t just about my goals, it’s about my parents’ goals,” she said. “It’s about their journey, the miles they traveled from their homes, the long years of difficult work, and the challenge of learning a new language and navigating a new culture.”

Through it all, the late-night study sessions and Common Grounds conversations, she said, “we found our people.” She said she has been fortunate to meet friends who have become her lifeline throughout her time at EMU. “So I ask you this: How lucky are we that saying goodbye feels this hard? That kind of sadness only exists because of how meaningful those connections are.”

Dottin-Carter shared the story of her path to EMU, beginning with her family’s immigration from the Dominican Republic to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and her eventual move to Harrisonburg with her then-boyfriend, now husband, Isaiah MA ’22 (restorative justice). She invited graduates to imagine the countless stories lived among them, of triumph, hardship, laughter, and sorrow, that will be carried within them as a collective memory.

She encouraged graduates to find a space where their story is honored, their presence is valued, and their legacy is seen. “And if you cannot find it, build it,” she said. “Find your people, find your place, find space where you are loved, understood, and validated.”

Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus presides over EMU’s 108th annual Commencement.

The ceremony recognized 304 graduates from 23 states, Puerto Rico, and 15 countries.

This marked Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus’ first Commencement as interim president. In her opening remarks, she said many of the Class of 2026 graduates began their time at EMU during a season shaped by significant cultural and political change.

“You’ve navigated a world marked by tension, rapid shifts, and real questions about identity, belonging, and truth,” she said. “In the midst of it all, you stayed grounded in your learning. You stayed grounded with one another. You demonstrated resilience, discernment, and a willingness to engage complexity rather than turn away from it.”

The Rev. Gordon Meriwether, a member of the EMU Board of Trustees, led the opening invocation. The EMU Chamber Singers, led by Dr. Benjamin Bergey, performed a musical selection. Divisional deans Rev. Dr. Sarah Bixler and Dr. Michael Horst presented the graduates. Provost Dr. Tynisha Willingham commissioned the graduates. Retiring professors Dr. Doug Graber Neufeld and Deanna Durham delivered the Commencement blessing.

Watch a video recording of Commencement below!

McClendon also serves as a member of the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board and as an instructor at Duke Divinity School. She is the founder of Herstoric Inc., a nonprofit organization committed to empowering leaders of all backgrounds to discover their voice, lead with confidence, and leave a lasting impact. She holds a doctor of ministry from Duke University, a master of divinity from Regent University, and a bachelor of arts from Oral Roberts University.

The world doesn’t need perfect people, she told the graduates, but rather it needs present people—those who show up, who listen, and who aren’t afraid to be the light in heavy places. She encouraged them to hold fast to their faith and values amid challenges. “You’ll walk into rooms where your faith is questioned, where your values are challenged, and your leadership is needed, but don’t shrink,” she said. “Remember, you’ve been shaped for this moment: not just to succeed, but to serve; not just to rise, but to reach; not just to lead, but to love.”

The graduates are stepping into a world that is both exciting and unpredictable, McClendon said. Technological advancements are reshaping daily life, global connections are bridging diverse cultures, and societal challenges prompt urgent calls for justice and compassion. In navigating this complex and ever-changing landscape, she pointed to the timeless wisdom of Micah 6:8. “It offers a compass,” she said, “a way to orient ourselves amid uncertainty.”

Unpacking the “profound simplicity” of the scripture, she explained that acting justly means making the conscious decision to stand up for what is right, even when it’s difficult; that loving mercy involves extending grace, understanding, and kindness, even when it’s undeserved; and that walking humbly with God means seeking guidance beyond our own understanding and recognizing that our talents and achievements are gifts to be used for a higher purpose.

She called on graduates to embody the Anabaptist and Mennonite values of simplicity, community, peace, service, and justice. “So I charge you: act justly, even when it’s inconvenient; love mercy, even when it’s not returned; and walk humbly, even when the world tells you to flex,” McClendon said. “Build bridges, lift voices, stay rooted, stay teachable, stay bold. Let Micah 6:8 be not just a memory verse, but a mission.”

“The world doesn’t just need more professionals, it needs more compassionate, just, and humble leaders. And I have no doubt that’s exactly who you are,” she continued. “You are ambassadors of hope, agents of change, and bearers of light in a world that desperately needs it.”

Undergraduates Jason Dwyer and Adesola Johnson and MA graduate Getachew Temare presented the graduate perspectives.

Dwyer reflected on finding his people, his place, and his home at EMU. Before he left for college, his parents told him that along with earning a degree, he’d also be getting an education in people. At the time, he didn’t understand what they meant. But after four years at EMU, he said “it’s become crystal clear.” “We’ve learned how to live in shared spaces, how to do laundry for the first time, how to wake up without someone telling us to—at least, some of us have,” he said. “We’ve had hard conversations with roommates, met deadlines, worked through challenges, interacted with professors and peers, and, most importantly, we’ve learned about ourselves.”

The political science and history double major from Fairfax, Virginia, played on the Royals baseball team for four years and said he met “so many incredible people” through his teammates, academic programs, and campus clubs. “We came in as individuals with different dreams, different hopes, and different stories. But somewhere along the way, in the classrooms, in the dorms, on the field, or in the community, we started becoming more,” Dwyer said. “We became a class. We came in as individuals, but despite our differences, we are now leaving as one: the Class of 2025.”

Johnson, a Cords of Distinction recipient, shared her most memorable EMU experience: a research trip to Australia tracking fruit flies. As she arrived at the site, she was overcome with dread when she realized she would have to confront her fear of birds every day for the next five weeks. “I never knew how debilitating fear could be until that moment,” she said. “But I quickly realized that my drive to succeed was much greater than my fear.”

For many graduates, she said, commencement day might be filled with anxiety and fear. “However, I want you all to know that fear can coexist with your drive, your plans, and your ambitions,” Johnson said. “Fear can be your fuel. At a time when many things feel uncertain, remember that your very existence is proof that you can succeed.”

Temare shared his journey as a refugee, then joining EMU through the Summer Peacebuilding Institute in 2023, and ultimately earning a master’s degree in conflict transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.“Here at ��ݮ����, and especially at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, transformation is not something you read about,” he said. “It is something you live. You wrestle with systems, stories, and suffering. You learn that peace is not passive and that justice is not optional.”

Reciting the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice”—Temare said that truth echoed in every classroom, every circle, every quiet moment of reckoning. “We engaged in practices that made us uncomfortable, reflective, and awake,” he said. “We learned that justice is not a concept reserved for courts or governments, but something we live, in how we treat one another, encouraged through accountability and love. And it wasn’t just theory, it was practice: in community meals, in hallway debates, in learning to listen beyond what we agreed with.”

EMU President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman presided over the ceremony—her final commencement as university president before retiring later this year. In her opening remarks, she reflected on how many graduates began their college journey in 2021, amid the pandemic, and demonstrated great fortitude and creativity through times of upheaval. “You have shown the next generation what it means to shoulder setbacks and still be immersed in a rigorous and caring academic environment,” she said. “These are powerful life lessons that will serve you well wherever you go.”

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs, commissioned the graduates. Deans Dr. Daniel Ott and Dr. Tara Kishbaugh presented the graduates. Dr. James Rosenberger ’68, member of the EMU Board of Trustees, led the opening prayer of invocation. Sarah Witmer Lehman, mother of Meredith Lehman ’25, delivered the commencement blessing. The ceremony featured singing by Reah Clymer ’25, accompanied by Dr. David Berry, associate professor of music, on piano.