HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –More than 1,000 students at Marshall University walked across the stage Saturday during the university’s 2026 commencement ceremonies.
The ceremonies were held at Marshall Health Network Arena in Huntington at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
In total, 1,588 graduates were recognized across both ceremonies. Among them, 52.1% were first-generation college graduates.
The students even reflected a diverse background and experiences, with representation from 12 countries, and 33 states, and nearly every county in West Virginia.
Kasey Serdula is from Maryland. She graduated with a major in finance and minors in economics and accounting.
She said graduating meant a lot to her because she was able to attend college and finally reach the finish line, especially with the support of her family.
“Today (Saturday), honestly means everything to me I’m glad I could be able to do something and push myself, and without having my family here I wouldn’t have been able to do it,” Serdula said.
She said she had always loved math and wanted to pursue a math-related career, and she felt finance was the right fit.
Another graduate, Michael Borsuk, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with double majors in political science and business management.
He said he entered the field because of the career opportunities it offers.
“I chose that because I feel like I have a lot of career opportunities, and a lot of different pathways that I can take with it,” Borsuk said.
He can become a multitude of things including office manager, administrative assistant, sales representative, customer service manager, financial analyst and more.
Miranda Reed walked across the stage to earn her bachelor’s degree in art.
Reed is a member of the first cohort of the Marshall for All program. Marshall for All aims to allow students to graduate debt-free by using a combination of scholarships, grants, work opportunities, and family contributions to fund their education.
She said the program was very helpful to her financially.
“It allowed me to buy my first house at 18, it allowed me to get married and just start a career beyond that and not have to be in student debt my whole life,” Reed said.
She said graduating meant a lot to her because of the hard work she had to put in.
“Today (Saturday) is such an amazing opportunity, it has taken me a lot of hard work and dedication to get here, but it just means so much to me,” Reed said.
She said that while she is preparing to welcome her daughter in the coming months, she plans to pursue a job in either graphic design or fashion design.
Borsuk said he will take many valuable lessons away from his time at Marshall University.
“I’m taking with me four years of memories, four years of friendships, and four years of knowledge I’ll never be able to replicate, it’s been an amazing experience to go here to Marshall , and be the eleventh person in my family to graduate from Marshall University,” Borsuk said.
Sedula said she will also take away valuable growth and knowledge from her experience at Marshall University.
“I’m taking a piece of everything I feel like, I’ve grown so much and I’ve learned so much, I can’t wait to take it all back,” she said.
Saturday’s commencement speaker was American radio and television announcer, news anchor, and voice actor Jim Thornton. Thornton is currently the voice of the Wheel of Fortune.