By Lucas Strand\u00a0\/\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than 500 graduates, including 277 undergraduate and 238 graduate students, will receive their degrees at commencement ceremonies on May 16 at the Volpe Athletic Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The undergraduate ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and the graduate ceremony will start at 3 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commencement celebrations begin on Friday, May 15, with a baccalaureate service, which honors a long graduation tradition while reflecting the diversity of the Class of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seniors will wear their commencement robes, dinks, and academic honors as they gather for a reflective service that recognizes their growth, friendships, and achievements before passing the torch to the Class of 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the morning of commencement, graduating seniors and their families will start the day by enjoying strawberries and ice cream together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This long-standing Hood tradition creates a moment to pause, come together, and celebrate before the ceremony begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The graduating class reflects a diverse geographic background, with undergraduate students\u00a0representing\u00a013 states, Washington, D.C., and France.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among\u00a0the\u00a0undergraduate\u00a0students, business is the most popular major, followed by psychology and biology.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nilah Magruder, Class of 2005,\u00a0and Derrick Harrigan, Class of 2007 and MBA 2014, and chair of the Board of Associates, will speak at the ceremonies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Magruder earned\u00a0her bachelor\u2019s degree\u00a0in communication\u00a0arts\u00a0from Hood College in 2005 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in computer animation from Ringling College of Art and Design.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She became the first Black woman to write for Marvel Comics in 2016 and has since worked on more than a dozen Marvel projects, including \u201cMarvel Rising,\u201d \u201cEdge of Spider-verse\u201d and \u201cVault of Spiders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harrigan\u00a0earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology and later a master\u2019s degree in business administration. He is a fiscal and policy analyst in the Office of Management and Budget for\u00a0Montgomery\u00a0County government.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commencement ceremonies will be followed by Senior Sunset, where graduates and loved ones celebrate their final evening on campus with a toast and remarks connecting the class to Hood\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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