Special Edition – Spring Commencement
Editor’s Note: May commencement is here! Read more about the graduates and the ceremonies in this special edition.
Spring commencement preview
UNC Charlotte will confer more than 5,780 degrees and certificates at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels during commencement ceremonies Thursday, May 7, through Saturday, May 9, in Dale F. Halton Arena in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center.
- Fun fact: Graduates represent 32 countries, 40 states, 88 North Carolina counties and range in age from 16 to 73. The graduating class also features six sets of twins.
graduate spotlights
Belk College of Business: Jessica Prichard reaches the finish line after 14 years thanks to Charlotte’s online BSBA program.
Cato College of Education: Arielle Brown knew she wanted to teach at age 13. Becoming a Niner and a Levine Scholar expanded her teaching lens to a global scale.
College of Arts + Architecture: Degrees in dance and psychology point Keegan Martin toward a career in sports psychology, but first she’ll join Team USA at the Dance World Cup.
College of Computing and Informatics: Ethan Nguyen leaves Niner Nation with dual degrees and the confidence to lead.
College of Health and Human Services: Overcoming challenges before reaching Charlotte, Aaron Kempster plans to help others as he’s been helped.
College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences: From soccer camp to commencement, Kennedy Frink’s Charlotte journey has been defined by belonging, scholarship and public service.
Klein College of Science: A gut feeling brought Vera Ntasin to Charlotte. Two internships and an externship later, she graduates with a mathematics degree and starts early on a master’s in data science.
William States Lee College of Engineering: Driven by relentless grit, Gisel Carrillo Ramirez is forging a strong character and a powerhouse career in construction, securing eight job offers before graduation.
Congratulations to the May 2026 student commencement speakers Jennifer Adelhardt, Kennedy Carpenter, Foster Duckworth, Abby Grace Bare and Christina Olmstead. Read their stories.
Kaitlin Klotz, Chase Minor, Kierra Andrews, Patrick Bonna and Shailesh Kumar continue a long commencement tradition, whereby extraordinary students ceremoniously ring the UNC Charlotte bell. Read more about these remarkable Niners.
University marshals are distinguished faculty members selected to represent their colleagues at ceremonial functions, including commencement. This semester’s honorees are Chance Lewis, Nadia Najjar, Susana Cisneros, Luke Reinke and Gene Lai.
- The story behind the mace case: Ever wonder what happens to the University mace after commencement? Two Charlotte employees used their woodworking skills to craft a display case worthy of holding this symbol of Charlotte history.
Messages of Gratitude
Behind every graduate is a circle of people who encouraged, challenged and believed in them. Through the Dear Family project, graduates had the chance to put that gratitude into words, and the result is a moving collection of messages honoring the families, friends and communities who made this moment possible.
Commencement Reminders
- To accommodate expected parking demand for commencement, the following changes to parking and transit operations will occur Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9.
- Graduating students are required to have a UNC Charlotte student ID or government-issued ID to enter the graduate area. If you do not have a valid UNC Charlotte ID card, follow the instructions to download a mobile ID.
- A clear bag policy will be enforced at Halton Arena; neither umbrellas, balloons, noisemakers, posters, banners or flags are allowed in this facility.