Photo Credit: William Denver Photography
“We’re here. We did it.” –Student speaker Madeline Hettrick
The class of 2026 said their goodbyes on May 14 with a convocation ceremony at the State Theatre New Jersey in downtown New Brunswick.
“Your friendships with your classmates will last a lifetime,” Theater alum and actor, singer, writer, and educator Bianca Leigh (Broadway’s Oh, Mary!; Transamerica) told the crowd. “And, if you are a cool breeze to work with, you will build a network of colleagues that will inspire you, collaborate with you, and every once in a while, get you work. Yes, there is rivalry and pettiness in the arts but far less of it than you’d think.” Read Leigh’s “Nine Tips for Living a Successful Artistic Life.”
Student speaker Madeline Hettrick asked her fellow students to ponder how far they’ve come.
“I encourage you to think about who you were when you first came to Rutgers,” the Filmmaking student told the class. “Think about that version of you: nervous, excited, maybe a little confused . . .. Think about everything you didn’t know yet, the challenges you’d face, the people who would shape you, the growth you’d undergo.
“And now look at you,” Hettrick continued. “Look at us. Sitting here today. Wearing those gowns we once imagined ourselves in. We’re here. We did it.”
Family and friends continued the celebration next door in the Civic Square Building at a tearful, giddy reception that included cake, wine, and a student jazz quartet.
Take a bow, class of 2026! You deserve it.
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Photographer: William Denver Photography
