To the Class of 2026,
Congratulations! You have taken your last set of final exams, written your final papers, successfully defended your theses and dissertations, and completed your last projects and your course of study here at Clemson University. In just a few short hours, as our doctoral candidates cross the stage and receive their degrees, we will begin what is perhaps one of the most special times in the calendar year – Commencement.
Whether this is your first Commencement or your fifth, you have accomplished something very special and you deserve to be celebrated. Commencement is more than a ceremony. It is a celebration that conveys to the world that you have dedicated yourself to learning, challenged yourself to grow, and earned a credential that will accompany you into your next chapter. It marks both an ending and a beginning, and all the promise that comes with it.
This Commencement is also incredibly special for me, as it is my first and only Commencement as Interim President. It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve this great University — a place that has shaped so much of my own journey. I also graduated from here in 1979 and 1981. It is where I met my wonderful wife, Dr. Jeri Jones, and it is a place I have proudly called home for more than 40 years.
Your graduating class also marks a historic moment for Clemson. After the final ceremony on Friday, we will officially have more than 200,000 living alumni across South Carolina, the nation and the globe. That is a powerful testament not only to the strength of this University, but to the legacy you now carry forward.
I am incredibly proud of each and every one of you, and I look forward to congratulating you as you cross the stage at Littlejohn Coliseum and officially begin the next chapter of your lives as Clemson alumni. No matter where you go or what you choose to do, know that you are forever part of the Clemson Family and Clemson University will always be waiting to welcome you home.
Please stay tuned for some important information coming to your Clemson email from me next week (so yes, I’m still assigning you one final thing to do even after graduation and thank you in advance for reading).
Again, I am so proud of you. You are the “something in these hills” that Joe Sherman speaks of here at Clemson. You are what makes Clemson so special. My very best wishes as you start the next chapter of your lives.
Go Tigers!
Robert H. Jones, Ph.D.
Interim President, Clemson University
