Southern Connecticut State University will celebrate the Class of 2026 with a series of commencement ceremonies recognizing nearly 2,600 graduates and featuring speakers from across education, healthcare, and public service.
Cam F. Awesome — a nationally recognized motivational speaker and the winningest boxer in USA Boxing history — will deliver the keynote address at the undergraduate ceremony on Friday, May 22, at 10:15 a.m. at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. During the ceremony, the university will confer an honorary Doctor of Political Science degree upon Justin Elicker, mayor of New Haven.
Growing up, Awesome faced academic and social challenges, including bullying and anxiety, which led him to boxing. What began as an outlet quickly became a passion — and within two years, he captured a national championship as the country’s top super heavyweight.
He went on to win four Golden Gloves titles, six U.S. Championships, and compete in three Olympic Trials, becoming the winningest boxer in USA Boxing history. His journey of resilience and perseverance is also featured in the Netflix documentary CounterPunch.
Justin Elicker is the 51st elected mayor of New Haven and is committed to building a city where every New Haven resident has the opportunity to thrive.
First sworn into office in January 2020, Elicker has served as mayor for the last six years and was most recently re-elected to a fourth two-year term in 2025.
Weeks into his first year in office, Mayor Elicker led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic and has worked in partnership with the New Haven Board of Alders and New Haven residents to confront many of the city’s long-term, systemic challenges, with a particular focus on advancing inclusive economic growth; stabilizing the city’s finances and long-term financial health; tackling gun violence and reimagining the city’s approach to public safety; building more affordable housing; and supporting children, youth and families with stronger schools and new programs.
A lifelong public servant, prior to being elected mayor, Elicker served on the New Haven Board of Alders, as executive director of the New Haven Land Trust, in the U.S. Foreign Services, and as a teacher for elementary and high school students and an adjunct professor of education policy at Southern.
Graduate Commencement ceremonies will take place May 18–19 on campus at the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, recognizing graduates across Southern’s academic schools and colleges.
In addition to distinguished guest speakers, this year’s ceremonies will highlight the voices of Southern’s graduates themselves, with student speakers representing each academic school and sharing personal reflections on their academic journeys, challenges, and aspirations for the future.
On Monday, May 18, at 2 p.m., graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business will be recognized. The ceremony will feature student speakers Maria Giugno, who reflects on balancing career, graduate study, and family while learning to “bet on yourself,” and Trevor Boczer, a two-time Southern graduate who emphasizes teamwork, perseverance, and leading with confidence as graduates take flight into their careers.
Later that evening at 7 p.m., the College of Health and Human Services ceremony will feature the conferral of an honorary Doctor of Science degree on Christopher O’Connor, chief executive officer of Yale New Haven Health System.
The ceremony will also include remarks from student speaker Renee Robles, who highlights the importance of advocacy, resilience, and using one’s voice to create meaningful change in communities.
The final ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 19, at 7 p.m., honoring graduates from the College of Education. The ceremony will include a keynote address from Dr. Madeline Negrón, superintendent of New Haven Public Schools.
Appointed in July 2023, Negrón brings more than 25 years of experience in public education, with a career that spans classroom teaching, school and district leadership, and senior-level administration across Connecticut. She has deep ties to New Haven, having previously served as director of instruction and director of early childhood for the district, as well as a teacher and principal at Hill Regional Career Magnet High School.
A first-generation college graduate and former bilingual education teacher, Negrón has dedicated her career to advancing equity and excellence in schools — a mission shaped in part by her own experience as a multilingual learner in Connecticut’s public education system. In addition to her work in K–12 education, she has also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Educational Leadership Department at Southern.
The ceremony will also feature student speaker Cassandra Lombardo, who draws on her experience as both an educator and IRONMAN athlete to reflect on the power of persistence, emphasizing that meaningful impact is built “one lesson, one day at a time.”
For more information on SCSU’s commencement, including the full schedule of events, visit www.SouthernCT.edu/commencement.
To view the ceremony live, please visit our YouTube livestream playlist here.
