Furman graduates 560 from the Class of 2026 in its Bicentennial year

To watch the full convocation ceremony, click here.

The Furman University Class of 2026 had 200 years of history behind them as they crossed the stage to receive their degrees in Paladin Stadium on May 9.

“Tonight, you join 200 years of Furman graduates,” said President Elizabeth Davis. “Classes who graduated during civil war, world wars, depressions and pandemics. Classes who had to imagine what came next without a clear map.”

The graduating class contained 560 undergraduates and 46 graduate students. They were joined by members of the Class of 1976, who returned to campus to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their own graduation. Half a century ago, they were the students gathered for fireworks over the lake, cutting into a giant birthday cake in a campus-wide convocation to celebrate Furman’s 150th anniversary.

“Remember: Furman is your forever community,” Davis told the graduating class. “We will be here for you, and we hope you come back.”

Students sit listening to a speaker during Saturday’s commencement ceremony at Furman University. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

Giving Back

For senior class representative and psychology major Meghan Madretzke ’26, commencement isn’t only the end of their time as undergraduate students, but the start of their role as part of the university’s network of alumni mentors and supporters.

The next chapter of their lives offers the chance to enter the workforce, provide internships and mentorship for future Paladins, build peer relationships with their favorite professors and join local alumni FAN Clubs. The opportunities to connect with the extended Furman community are endless.

“Our time on campus may only be four incredible years, but the responsibility, leadership and community created and expected by Furman alumni are for life,” she said. “Now it’s our turn.”

Madretzke and other senior Student Government Association representatives presented the class gift: $21,905 raised by 225 seniors to go toward various campus funds.

Furman honored several students, faculty and staff with awards for their service and accomplishments and celebrated 10 retiring faculty members. To read about the honorees, click here.

Jackson Price ’26 gave the student address at Furman University’s 2026 commencement ceremony on May 9. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

Student address – Jackson Tyler Price ’26

While four years can pass quickly, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon race, said business administration major Jackson Tyler Price ’26. Price will pursue a master’s degree in business administration at Babson College in Boston this fall, but on Saturday he reflected on the moments at Furman that taught him to slow down and enjoy the journey.

As a member of the men’s soccer team, he saw how long-term support from alumni gave students the opportunity to explore their own paths. He pushed his own limits of what was possible when he joined the track and field team, and engaged learning experiences like his MayX trip to Italy taught him to pace himself and be intentional with how he spent his time.

The power outages during 2024’s Hurricane Helene were an exercise in patience, and a masterclass in presence, as students cooked for one another on charcoal grills and learned to slow the pace of campus life to make space for one another.

But the greatest test of these lessons for Price was when he tore his ACL in October 2024. It was a low point in Price’s life, “but it revealed the clearest example of how special this community is.” Teammates, trainers, professors, friends and strangers alike supported him as he rebuilt his strength, confidence and sense of identity.

Slowing down gave him the room he needed to grow. Through 2025, Price built GoldRush Energy – a company producing an energy gel to help athletes recover from exertion, inspired by his own recovery and physical therapy. His company won the 2025 Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition, and the next year Price was back on the men’s soccer team as they danced their way to the Final Four.

“If Furman has taught me anything, it is that the most important races are not about how fast you start, but about how you sustain effort, respond to setbacks and rely on the people around you,” he said.

To read Price’s full remarks, click here.

Mary-Mitchell Campbell ’96, acclaimed musician and volunteer, gave the commencement keynote address at Paladin Stadium on May 9. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

Keynote address – Mary-Mitchell Campbell ’96

Acclaimed musician, musical arranger, educator and orchestrator Mary-Mitchell Campbell ’96 gave the keynote address at Saturday’s ceremony. She is founder and president of ArtsIgnite, an organization that trains artists to teach life skills through the arts to young people throughout the world, as well as a founding member of Musicians United for Social Equity.

Campbell was recently announced as the 2026 winner of the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award, recognizing her humanitarian and arts advocacy work.

But Campbell’s first crash course in leadership came when she was pursuing her bachelor’s degree in music at Furman. She wanted to perform and organize musical theater productions, but there was no such program at the university. She built it from scratch, and with the help of her fellow students and mentors she founded the Furman Pauper Players theater company, a student organization dedicated to making musical theater accessible for all students, regardless of their major or level of experience. Campbell used their productions to raise funds for local charities, putting her on the path to use her art for good.

“The things you’re building right now, the thing that might feel small or uncertain or a little scrappy, it might matter more than you can possibly imagine,” she said. “It might impact more lives than you could dream.”

To read Campbell’s full remarks, click here.