Sarah Lawrence College Celebrates 98th Commencement

Sarah Lawrence College celebrated its 98^th Commencement on Friday, May 8, under a tent on the College’s South Lawn. More than 2,500 parents, family, and friends gathered to celebrate the Class of 2026’s 435 bachelor's candidates and 109 master's students. Emmy-winning showrunner, director, and novelist, and proud Sarah Lawrence alumnus, Noah Hawley ’89 delivered the keynote address. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins received an honorary degree and also addressed graduates.

Hawley shared that one of the most important skills that students develop at Sarah Lawrence College is the ability to ask and answer questions. That skill, he said, made him not only a novelist and a filmmaker, but an entrepreneur. He implored the Class of 2026 to be entrepreneurs in this day and age, when career paths are not always linear.

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“By taking a class and reshaping it into a different class — a class that focused on your interests — you literally changed the world to your advantage,” said Hawley. “The most valuable skill you can develop today is to look at a system – the entertainment business, a tech company – the same way you looked at that college class. First, you figure out how it works, and then you figure out how to make it work for you. And while non-Sarah Lawrence graduates are trying to figure out how to do that, you already know. You have the skill, and skill is what turns talent into success.”

During her remarks, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins credited the role of education throughout her life, growing up during the Civil Rights movement in New York City Public Housing, the lack of access to a college education for her parents and other women and people of color, through her esteemed career as a public servant. Before addressing graduates, she received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa.

“I never saw myself as the first woman leader in the State Senate; I never saw a senator who looked like me,” Leader Stewart-Cousins told graduates. “I stand before you as someone who never had the dream of being me. You will also stand in ways that no one would have thought of. Make us proud. But more importantly, make you proud.”

President Cristle Collins Judd welcomed the Class of 2026, acknowledging the graduates’ unique experiences in their college journey, including being the first post-COVID class, the establishment of the College’s HUB as a space of humanity, understanding, and belonging, and celebrating their commencement during the centennial of the College’s founding.

“At its founding, Sarah Lawrence College was an audacious innovation in post-secondary education, with its premise that education should be relational, interdisciplinary, arts-infused and humanistic, grounded in hands-on learning, guided by intellectual curiosity and the belief that students should play an active role in shaping their own paths,” said President Judd. “It was a timely intervention in 1926, founded on values that we now recognize as timeless. 100 years later, all of us under this tent are the beneficiaries of that vision and those values, privileged by them, and responsible to them.”

As part of this year’s Commencement exercises, the College held a Graduate Hooding ceremony on Thursday, May 7, in the Barbara Walter Campus Center. The hooding ceremony's sole focus was on Sarah Lawrence’s master’s candidates, recognizing their unique achievements in pursuit of advanced degrees.

A full recap of Sarah Lawrence’s 98th Commencement and Graduate Hooding ceremonies, including videos and photos, is available here.

About Sarah Lawrence College

Founded in 1926, Sarah Lawrence is a prestigious, coeducational liberal arts college that consistently ranks among the leading liberal arts colleges in the country. Sarah Lawrence is known for its pioneering approach to education, rich history of impassioned intellectual and civic engagement, and vibrant, successful alumni. In close proximity to the unparalleled offerings of New York City, the historic campus is home to an intellectually curious and diverse community.