370 students participated in Saturday’s ceremony, both undergraduate and graduate, out of the 530 that were eligible to walk.

“When you chose SMSU, you chose more than a place to earn a degree. You chose a university built on the old idea that education should be open, creative and responsive to the needs of its time,” SMSU president Dr. David Jones said to the Class of 2026. “You chose a place that values innovation, encourages curiosity, and believes in the power of possibility. From the very beginning, this university has been defined by pioneers. Our earliest students were called pioneers on the prairie, and that spirit is on each of you.”

This year marked Jones’ first SMSU graduation commencement, as he stepped in as interim president in July, and was recently named the official new head of the university in February.

The R/A Facility on campus was packed with friends and family of the graduates and filled the gymnasium with frequent cheers, and the occasional air horn, to celebrate their loved ones as they crossed the stage.

Photo by Samantha Davis: A 2026 Southwest Minnesota State University graduate receives their degree and walks the stage during the 58th commencement on Saturday in the R/A Facility on campus.

Sheridyn Runs After represented the graduating class as the student commencement speaker, and also served as the student association president this school year. She is originally from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, and is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and graduated with a degree in justice administration.

“As an indigenous woman, I do not walk through the stage by myself. I am here because of my family, my community and my ancestors. I carry stories of resiliency, of survival, of people who made a way out of no way, just so that I could be standing here today,” Runs After said. “This degree is not just about education. It’s about representation. It’s about responsibility. It’s about walking into systems that haven’t always served our communities, and choosing to do something different.”

Prior to the conferring of degrees, Dr. Jacqueline Johnson from the Minnesota State Board of Trustees attended the commencement and also spoke a few words to the class.

“At the same time that you’re celebrating the completion of your degree program, you are also celebrating the beginning of a whole new chapter in your life journey,” Johnson said. “For some of you, that means continuing your formal education. For others, that means starting on a new career path. For others, it might mean the commencement of a period of taking a break, giving pause. Whatever the special meaning this day holds for you, don’t let it be the end of your educational journey.”

SMSU also honored groups of students, asking them to stand and be applauded, such as first-generation students, military-serving students, and those graduating with honors.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Southwest Minnesota State University 2026 graduate and student commencement speaker Sheridyn Runs After speaks to the class during the 58th commencement on Saturday.

“Today is not just a celebration of degrees, it’s a celebration of community, because none of us got here alone. Every single person graduating today is (because) of the people who showed up for them, who believed in them, who supported them, who challenged them, and who carried them when things got hard,” Runs After said. “For some of us, that community extends far beyond this room. It lives in the places we come from, the people who raised us and in the cultures and histories that shaped us.”

As the handing out of degrees program started, the students proudly made their way across the stage, receiving their degrees and shaking hands with Jones and Dr. Ross Wastvedt, the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs.

The crowd celebrated each graduate, and some would wave to their families from the stage or pose for pictures.

“Perhaps most importantly, you have learned how to be both gritted and restless. To value where you come from, while reaching toward where you want to go,” Jones said. “Now, as you step forward into what comes next, the world needs exactly (that). They need your ideas. They need your integrity. They need your willingness to take risks and to lead with purpose.”

Solidifying their graduation, the students were addressed by Hannah Abel, director of alumni relations and outreach, to officially welcome the Class of 2026 as the newest members of SMSU’s alumni association.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Southwest Minnesota State University graduates begin to turn their tassels during the 58th commencement on Saturday in the R/A Facility on campus.

The class turned their tassels on their caps from the right side to the left to end the ceremony, again filling the room with cheers, tears and excitement as the graduates made their way out of the facility for a final time, and taking their first steps into their next chapters.

“As we move forward, let’s remember what got us here. Not the assignments or the deadlines — The people. The late night conversations, the moments of doubt, the moments we showed up for each other,” Runs After said. “We are stepping into a world that desperately needs us. It needs people who are willing to question, people who are willing to care, people who are willing to challenge our everyday and be courageous enough to imagine something better. I believe we are ready for that, not because we have all the answers, but because we know how to keep going, even when it may seem like the odds are stacked against us … So, wherever you may go next, whether you have a plan or are still figuring it out, go with intention. Go with courage, and don’t forget where you come from.”

Photo by Samantha Davis: A 2026 Southwest Minnesota State University graduate receives their degree and walks the stage during the 58th commencement on Saturday in the R/A Facility on campus.

Photo by Samantha Davis: A 2026 Southwest Minnesota State University graduate receives their degree and walks the stage during the 58th commencement on Saturday in the R/A Facility on campus.

Photo by Samantha Davis: A 2026 Southwest Minnesota State University graduate receives their degree and walks the stage during the 58th commencement on Saturday in the R/A Facility on campus.

Photo by Samantha Davis: A 2026 Southwest Minnesota State University graduate receives their degree and walks the stage during the 58th commencement on Saturday in the R/A Facility on campus.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Southwest Minnesota State University graduates stand up while being recognized during the 58th commencement on Saturday in the R/A Facility on campus.