STU Celebrates the Class of 2026
By Belkis Mejia Perdomo
St. Thomas University (STU) celebrated its Class of 2026 across three distinct commencement ceremonies, a Baccalaureate Mass, and a Student Award Luncheon. The weeklong celebration commemorated the achievements of STU’s graduating students and marks a milestone in the university’s history. This year, the University conferred degrees upon 933 total graduates, including 255 undergraduate degree recipients, 445 graduate degree recipients, and 233 College of Law degree recipients.
The Undergraduate Ceremony on May 13 honored fashion industry veteran and Paris Fashion Week SS26 Fashion Icon Award recipient Tobi Rubinstein and Bishop Pierre-André Dumas with honorary degrees. Jeremy Tate, founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test, delivered the keynote address. The Graduate Ceremony on May 14 featured keynote speaker Juan Carlos “JC” Liscano, Vice President of Miami Hub Operations at American Airlines. The College of Law Ceremony on May 15 brought together John Leon, founding attorney of Leon Legal Group; the Honorable Roy K. Altman, Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida; and James Uthmeier, Florida Attorney General.
The Gus Machado College of Business sent 218 graduates into the workforce this spring, capping a year of standout achievement on the global stage. Earlier this year, two STU student teams competed against more than 10,000 teams from business schools across 30 countries in the Business Strategy Game, an advanced global business simulation by McGraw-Hill Education. One team tied for first place worldwide, outperforming teams from California State University, the University of Maryland and Texas A&M University, among others. Both STU teams ranked in the top 1% of all participants worldwide.
This year’s graduating class reflects the remarkable rise of STU’s College of Nursing, now the second-largest nursing program in Florida and less than a decade old. Forty-eight students earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and 217 completed a Master of Science in Nursing. Two students earned the program’s highest distinction, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, bringing total nursing graduates to 267. The program consistently posts some of the state’s best NCLEX passage rates and a 100% graduate placement rate, while helping address a projected statewide nursing shortage of nearly 60,000 nurses within the decade.
The College of Law graduated its Class of 2026 this spring, a class that did not simply study the law; they lived it. Together, the graduating class logged 21,517 pro bono hours in service to their communities, with Kendall Stephenson alone completing 773 hours. Melody Blanco, Student Bar Association president and a standout in national trial team competitions, earned her degree while navigating the loss of both her sister and her father during her law studies, never stepping back from leadership when it would have been understandable to do so. Laura Aleman, a Florida Supreme Court Fellow, spent her College of Law years balancing academic achievement with serving as guardian for her autistic brother with cerebral palsy.
Now the largest College of Law in Florida for traditional J.D. enrollment, STU College of Law’s competitive teams have continued to make strides on the national stage. The Trial Team claimed first place at the 2026 Online National Championship and advanced to the National Finals in Dallas, while the Moot Court Team held a No. 16 national ranking and recently earned finalist honors and Best Petitioner Brief at the 2026 John J. Gibbons National Criminal Procedure Competition. The GAVEL Ranking places the STU Trial Team fourth in the nation.
The program’s continued rise is a testament to the continued work of STU faculty and students. With historic bar passage rates, strong employment outcomes, and national recognition in advocacy, St. Thomas University College of Law is producing graduates who are ready to lead with skill, conviction and a deep commitment to justice. That is not a trend. That is a legacy in the making.
Among the Class of 2026, Dr. Lynda Roberts stood out as a symbol of the class’ resilience. A 45-year law enforcement veteran and STU alumna, Roberts completed her doctorate in ethical leadership at 65, persevering through profound personal loss — including the passing of her mother and the murder of her niece — driven by a promise to finish what she started.
Taken together, the class of 2026 leaves St. Thomas University not as a collection of individual graduates, but as a community shaped by perseverance, passion, resilience, faith, and gratitude. They enrolled and graduated from a University focused on the pursuit of excellence. As they step into careers in business, healthcare, law, and beyond, they carry with them the knowledge, experience, and determination that defined their time at St. Thomas University.
Share the moment with photo galleries from Undergraduate Commencement, Graduate Commencement, and College of Law Commencement. You can watch the Ceremonies here.