Graduation days for Howard’s class of 2026 are scheduled for May 7-9, with seniors expected to complete their final day of classes on Monday, April 27. As commencement approaches, many students are preparing for the transition from campus life to their next chapter.
For some seniors, the final weeks at Howard have brought a mix of excitement, uncertainty and reflection. After years of coursework, career preparation and managing their personal lives, members of the class of 2026 are not only getting ready to receive their degrees, but also thinking seriously about what life after graduation will look like.
“I’m just ready to get my degree,” Evan Aldridge, senior TV and film major, sociology minor from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, said. “I haven’t really had enough time to process my graduation date, but I am very excited for the day I walk across that stage.”
The Cathy Hughes School of Communications Graduation Celebration is set for Friday, May 8, from 12:00–2:00 p.m.
Aldridge also spoke on his advancement over the past four years.
“My academic growth at this school has been an interesting ride,” Aldridge said, “I didn’t start off my freshman year great as I was still adjusting to college, but, over time, I have been able to earn high grades in all of my classes.”
He also admitted to challenges of being introverted and experiencing burnout but, being at Howard helped him get through those things.
“If high school me saw what I’m doing now, he would be extremely surprised of all the achievements I’ve made,” Aldridge said.
After graduation, Aldridge plans to be on the job hunt for anything in film production.
“It’s exciting and scary,” Keith Golden Jr., a senior journalism major and political science minor from Riviera Beach, Florida, said. “After five years of the long walk, I’m grateful to be alive, but it’s just the end of the beginning. The real work begins now.”
Golden Jr. claims that, though it was a challenging five years, he’s still able to reflect on what good Howard has brought out of him.
“I was never academically gifted throughout my time here. A lot of times I barely got by or ended up failing a class,” Golden Jr. said. “One of my biggest challenges was facing my trauma, problems and pain so I can decide to be the man I am now.”
Golden Jr. said those challenges ultimately shaped the confidence he carries today.
“This University showed me that my presence speaks for itself. Our very existence pushes the status quo,” Golden Jr. said. “It taught me to stand in any room like I own it, even if I’m the youngest one there.”
Golden Jr. is still figuring out life after graduating, but says he plans on working in journalism for three to seven years until reaching goals of traveling the world to document culture, life and politics.
“[My] long-term goal would be to have my media production company be big enough to create jobs and build passive income to pass down to my descendants,” Golden Jr. said.
Golden Jr. also offered advice to incoming classes.
“The difference between who you are and who you want to be is the hard thing. Make the decision to keep putting in the input,” Golden Jr. said.
Another senior, Deeane Besong, a health science major and biology and chemistry double minor from Toronto, Canada, said she is feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.
“I’ve accomplished most of my goals, made great friends and had great opportunities,” she said.
“However, nervousness comes with those experiences. Yes, I’m graduating, but almost in the sense of going into the unknown.”
Despite the nerves, Besong said she feels proud that she’s been able to overcome and grow at Howard by finding the study habits that work for her.
“Given that I’m a science major, or I’d say a lot of students at Howard will attest to this, but most of the time you have to teach yourself the concepts that teachers don’t do a great job of doing,” Besong said.
Besong said that because of that, she adapted quickly, which allowed her to grow overall academically. She said the university has shaped her in several personal ways as well.
“I would say it shaped me into a woman who is driven and puts aside fear to get what she wants,” Besong said.
She said that coming into Howard, she wasn’t the most confident and was introverted if she didn’t have others around.
“Whether it’s to eat at Annex or Blackburn, or even getting free stuff on the yard, if someone wasn’t there to do it with me – I simply wouldn’t do it,” Besong said. “Throughout the years, I realized that if I keep relying on other people to do things, then it wouldn’t get done and I’d be missing out on a lot of opportunities,” she added.
She says that being at Howard helped her with her confidence overall because the environment allowed her to be herself.
“I’ve appreciated being a Black woman, I’ve appreciated the Howard hustle because these are things that have made me stronger and prepared me for the real world,” Besong said.
After graduation, Besong plans to take a gap year before entering medical school. She plans to gain more clinical and volunteer hours to build her resume for medical school.
Besong is currently working on her phlebotomist license at Howard, as she plans to work as one while preparing for the MCAT. She had advice for undergraduate students.
“Put your fears aside and chase your dreams,” Besong said. “Make those memories, go on those side quests and build bonds.”
Finally, senior Sage Stevens, a public relations major from Long Island, New York, said after experiencing financial challenges and mental health struggles during college, she is relieved to have made it to graduation.
“One of my biggest hurdles that affected my grades was my battle with anxiety,” Stevens said. “It would prevent me from being an active member of the classroom.”
She said her time at Howard helped teach her the importance of work-life balance, and after being more engaged in class, she learned more and saw her grades improve.
“The path of success is neither paved nor tortuous – it is strategic in complexity and ostensibly simple,” Stevens said. “Despite the headaches I’ve faced with the ‘Howard runaround,’ it’s led me to where I am today.”
Stevens explained the “Howard runaround” as the often frustrating process of navigating administrative offices, long wait times and unclear communication. She said that with these experiences, she’s developed skills that have prepared her for this next chapter of her life. She also said that Howard helped manage her anxiety, as she now embraces not having control over everything in her life.
After graduation, she intends to get a job in broadcasting or media relations, while also doing auditions and building her acting resume. She aims to work as an entertainment industry professional by the end of the year.
She also offered advice for the younger classes.
“Rely on the village you’ve created for yourself,” Stevens said. “It’s okay to be inconvenienced as a price to pay for community.”
She also reflected on the complexity of relationships, noting that people are imperfect and that growth often comes from learning how to accept others while being mindful of who aligns with your future.
Stevens closed with advice about perseverance, urging students to move forward even when they feel unprepared. She stressed that fear of failure is universal, but shouldn’t be a barrier to success.
“Everyone is afraid of failure; it’s a human trait that connects all of us. Don’t let that stop you from getting it,” Stevens said.
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