By Lucas Strand//
The College has chosen the first Black woman to write for Marvel comics as the undergraduate commencement speaker for 2026.
The writer, Nilah Magruder, a Hood alumna, will speak at the graduation exercises on May 16.
Derrick Harrigan, chair of the College’s Board of Associates, who graduated from Hood in 2007 and received a Master’s of Business Administration in 2014, will be the speaker at the graduate commencement.
Laurie Ward, executive director of marketing and communications, said President Debbie Ricker chose Magruder from a short list of speakers suggested by senior class officers.
Magruder, is an illustrator and author based in Maryland. She worked as a storyboard artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Dreamworks Animation. She created the character Spider-Byte for Marvel Comics.
She writes children’s books and is head writer on an unannounced preschool project.
Harrigan is a fiscal and policy analyst in the Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology and later completed his master’s degree in business administration
“The graduate speaker is usually an alum of The Graduate School. As chair of the BOA, Derrick was a natural choice,” Ward.
Seniors can order their commencement regalia for campus pick up until March 19. The campus pickup event is on April 16. Students can still order online until April 30, but will be charged a shipping fee. For more information, visit https://www.hood.edu/campus-events/commencement.
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