Regent University Commencement Celebrates the Class of 2026 as 2,300 Graduates Receive Degrees
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (May 9, 2026) — Tonight, as Regent University celebrated its 2026 Commencement, over 2,300 graduates became distinguished alumni, equipped and inspired to change the world and glorify God.
The highly anticipated blast of confetti and the turning of tassels that marked their accomplishments represented long hours, demanding schedules, and determination that carried each student to the stage where they victoriously received their degrees.
On this memorable day, May 9, 2026 — and every day that led to it — Regent graduates embodied the scripture printed on their programs: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37
Processional & Welcome
With a lively musical greeting from the Virginia Symphony Brass, Regent University’s faculty, deans, and dignitaries made their way to the Library Plaza to join family and friends in welcoming the Class of 2026 during their ceremonial entrance.
After a performance of the National Anthem, Chancellor Gordon Robertson gave a warm welcome to Regent University’s 46th Commencement Ceremony, expressing his pride in the graduates’ accomplishments and the honor of celebrating with them and their families. He then opened the program in prayer.
“Lord, may the fire of your glory go with every graduate today,” Robertson prayed. “May they become Christian leaders to change the world … Enable this group today. Enable them to be overcomers, enable them to be leaders, enable them to go out and bring your kingdom to Earth.”
Next, Robertson shared the remarkable story told through the numbers of this year’s class:
- 2,316 graduates, one of the largest classes in Regent’s history
- Graduates from all 50 states and 20 countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Uganda, and beyond
- 529 doctoral degrees received
- 949 master’s degrees received
- 824 bachelor’s degrees received
- 25 associate degrees received
- 357 graduates with a perfect 4.0 GPA
- 12 graduates completed two degrees
The ceremony also paused to honor the youngest and oldest Regent graduates of 2026, from 19-year-old Preston Robert Nemeti, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, to 86-year-old Kwasi Hezekiah Scipio-Akpabla, who received his Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling & Psychological Studies.
In a moment of tender reverence, Robertson honored three graduates who lost their lives before completing their degrees. Three chairs draped in regalia on the front row memorialized Amanda Reidling, Thomas Richard Barnes, and Mark Nathaniel Martin. Each received a posthumous degree, and their families stood to be recognized in a moment of honor.
The Commencement Address
Claire Foster, Ph.D., Regent University’s Executive Vice President of Advancement & Enrollment, introduced the evening’s keynote speaker. Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas, Florida’s 29th Commissioner of Education and Regent’s 2026 Alumnus of the Year, delivered a charge deeply familiar to the Regent mission.
A native of Miami, Commissioner Kamoutsas shared his journey from humble beginnings to earning a Juris Doctor from Regent’s School of Law, becoming an Assistant State Attorney, and eventually serving as Deputy Chief of Staff to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He spoke from a life shaped by conviction, service, and purpose, giving an address that drew from the same well of faith and leadership that Regent students spend years filling.
“I once sat where you are right now, filled with anticipation, a little uncertainty, and a deep sense that this moment matters,” Kamoutsas said. “Today is more than a milestone. Today is step one in God’s plan for your career, which I am confident is a plan to prosper you and not to harm you.”
Kamoutsas knows from experience. “Why did I choose Regent?” he asked. “Because what good is it to gain the world and lose your soul? … Like many of you, I can point to many moments here at Regent that changed my life and showed that God was in control. [I remember] professors who expected more than just memorizing answers, but demanded thoughtfulness, conviction, and humility. They pushed me to think beyond success as being just a title or a paycheck. And they emphasized seeing it as impact, integrity, and service.”
With fervor, Commissioner Kamoutsas encouraged the Class of 2026 to stand firm despite inevitable opposition, seeing trials as opportunities to deepen conviction and perseverance. “Standing firm in your faith may not always be easy, but it is always worth it,” he said. “Stay hopeful. Stay purpose-driven. Stay prayerful, and stay focused.”
Graduate Adriana Alistair, who received her Bachelor of Arts in English, resonated with this message. “When I started at Regent, I didn’t have a lot of tenacity,” she said. “If something wasn’t going well, I gave up really easily. But finishing my degree and going all the way to the mark, being at Regent has taught me about endurance and staying the course, even when things look tough. So now, as I’m walking into my future season, even if things don’t go as planned, I don’t give up. I trust God’s plan no matter what.”
Recognition of Honors and Joint Degrees
Following Commissioner Kamoutsas’ speech, William L. Hathaway, Ph.D., Provost of Regent University, took to the podium to recognize the 2026 Outstanding Graduates. “Though every graduate is celebrated today, there are some who excelled in the exercise of personal qualities beyond their respective academic field,” Hathaway said. “Those students personify leadership, service, and a love for God that earn them special recognition today in the company of their peers.”
Hathaway also celebrated undergraduate Latin honors recipients, who earned cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude designations for scholarly achievement, as well as military graduates, who wore red, white, and blue honor cords as a visible tribute to their service and sacrifice. He then recognized the joint degree candidates, students who completed the demanding work of two full degree programs, honoring their extraordinary preparation and diligence.
Graduate Reflection
Jesse Winston Jr., a doctoral graduate from the School of Education, delivered the Graduate Reflection. A Superintendent of Schools, Pastor, and District Superintendent of churches, Winston spoke with the weight of someone who had come to Regent with a purpose and is leaving with a mission refined.
“Regent has equipped us to lead and serve with purpose,” Winston said. “Our achievements are the foundation for strengthening communities, inspiring positive change, and making a difference.”
Winston’s words touched the hearts of the entire audience when he addressed his classmates directly with a charge both personal and prophetic.
“Let’s go forth, resolving to serve the Lord and others wherever we go,” Winston said. “Lead with passion, actively work to strengthen your communities, and take concrete steps to create lasting impact.”
Commencement Message & Charge
Board of Trustees Chairman Phil D. Walker offered greetings on behalf of the Board, celebrating the Class of 2026 and reminding them that they were joining an alumni family already transforming education, government, law, communication, healthcare, business, and ministry worldwide.
“Our Lord is now giving you a tremendous opportunity to influence the lives of many as you fulfill his calling to take the gospel to the marketplace,” Walker said.
Chancellor Robertson was welcomed to the podium to deliver his Commencement message and final charge, calling on the Class of 2026 to carry the light of Christ into a world that needs it urgently.
Reflecting on America’s Christian founding, from the 1607 Cape Henry cross in Virginia Beach to the Continental Congress’s call for fasting and prayer 250 years ago, Robertson reminded the audience that the nation’s founding purpose was religious liberty and worship. Referencing “Errand Into the Wilderness,” as described in a sermon by New England settler Samuel Danforth, he challenged Regent’s 2026 graduates to remember and live out that original mission.
“Our wilderness today is not some howling wasteland,” Robertson said. “Our wilderness is division, strife, and everything social media throws at us to incite us — to bring us into wrath and conflict where we hate one another. Let’s just restore to the basic principle: Can we love God with all our heart and all our strength? And can we love our neighbor as ourselves? I charge you, as graduates, take this message. It is not just for America, it’s for the whole world. Fulfill the prayer that from these shores, the gospel will go into all the world. God bless you.”
The Conferring of Degrees
The ceremony transitioned to a reading of each undergraduate degree candidate’s name as they walked across the stage and then received personal prayer and Bibles from faculty members. Graduate students’ names had previously been read during Commissioning ceremonies held beforehand. Hathaway then invited each school’s dean to the stage to formally present their graduates for the conferring of degrees.
From the College of Arts & Sciences, Honors College, and College of Health & Behavioral Sciences to the Schools of Government, Business & Leadership, Communication & the Arts, Divinity, Education, and Law, each dean called their candidates to stand and be recognized by their peers, their faculty, and their God.
When the last dean had returned to his seat, Hathaway invited all degree candidates to rise together. Then came the moment the crowd had been waiting for. As the Chancellor spoke a final conferring of degrees, each graduate heard the words they had worked so hard for.
“Congratulations, graduates,” Robertson said. “You may now turn your tassels.”
The explosion of the prized confetti cannons sent Regent’s royal blue and green colors into the air above the plaza — raining down on 2,316 new alumni rejoicing as they stepped into the next chapter of their callings. Regent University’s newest graduates are more than conquerors — they’re Christian leaders who have been sent forth to change the world.
The Chancellor’s final words of the evening offered a blessing from Numbers 6: 24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
To watch the full video of Regent University’s 46th Commencement Ceremony, visit regent.edu/commencement.
About Regent University
Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university, with nearly 14,000 students studying on its 100-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online worldwide. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study, including business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University has been ranked the No. 1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for 14 years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2026) and the No. 1 Best Christian College in America (Bible College Online, 2025).
###