As graduates crossed the stage at the University of Washington Bothell’s 2026 Commencement ceremonies on June 14, they celebrated more than the completion of degrees. They marked the culmination of years of perseverance, community and personal growth — and the beginning of a future they were encouraged to shape with intention and hope.
The central message at the Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion came from Chancellor Kristin G. Esterberg, who acknowledged the uncertainty graduates face as they enter a rapidly changing world marked by technological disruption, global conflict and social division.
“I will not stand here and tell you that everything will be easy,” Esterberg said. “What I will tell you is this: You are more prepared than you realize.”
Hope is not optional
Nearly 1,600 graduates in two ceremonies heard her message. The Purple Ceremony included students from the schools of Business, Educational Studies and Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, while the Gold Ceremony included students from the schools of Nursing & Health Studies and Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics. The Class of 2026, totaling more than 2,100, brings the number of UW Bothell alumni to more than 36,000 as the University completes its 36th year.
Reflecting on the sacrifices students made and the challenges they overcame to get their degrees, Esterberg emphasized a theme that echoed throughout the day: “Hope is not optional.”
For Esterberg, hope is not wishful thinking or denial of reality. Rather, it is a discipline — a choice to keep building, learning and extending humanity to others.
“Without hope, no one starts anything difficult. Without hope, no one solves anything important,” she said. “And you, the Class of 2026, will solve important things.”
The stories celebrated throughout the ceremony reflected that conviction. Whether overcoming academic setbacks, pursuing ambitious research or supporting others, graduates demonstrated that hope is often expressed through persistence and action.
Shaped by community
University of Washington President Robert J. Jones reminded graduates that Commencement is not an ending but a beginning. Drawing from his own experience as a first-generation college graduate, he encouraged students to recognize both their achievements and the communities that helped make them possible.
“Every great thing you will ever do will be the result of teamwork,” Jones said.
“UW Bothell exemplifies what it means to learn and grow in a diverse and interconnected environment,” he added. “The perspectives you have encountered here have prepared you to navigate a world that is both complex and evolving at a rapid pace. Take it from me: As individuals and as a generation, you are prepared to meet them.”
Jones praised graduates for developing not only academic expertise but also the ability to collaborate, engage across differences and navigate complex situations. Those experiences, he said, have readied them to contribute to their communities, their professions and the broader world.
Remarks at the Commencement ceremonies repeatedly returned to the people who made the journey possible — families, friends, mentors, faculty and staff. Graduates were encouraged to recognize the support that helped carry them to this milestone and to remain connected to the communities they built along the way.
Motivated to move forward
That spirit of support and achievement was reflected in Jones’ presentation of the President’s Medal, awarded annually to the graduating senior with the most distinguished academic record and significant accomplishments beyond the classroom.
This year’s recipient, Thomas Purchas, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, along with minors in Business Administration and in Mathematics. His path to academic success was anything but straightforward.
An earlier attempt at college left him without a degree and with a transcript that did not reflect his potential. Rather than allowing that experience to define him, Purchas used it as motivation. At UW Bothell, he earned a place on the Dean’s List every quarter and graduated summa cum laude.
His achievements extended beyond the classroom. After receiving a Summer Research Award, Purchas began developing econometric models to explore the relationship between extreme weather events and stock performance. His research accomplishments helped earn him admission to the highly competitive Economics Ph.D. program at the State University of New York in Stony Brook, where he plans to continue contributing to economic research.
Purchas’ story embodied a message heard throughout the day: Success is not determined by where a journey begins but by the willingness to keep moving forward.
Defined by growth
The student speakers brought those themes to a personal level, reflecting on lessons learned through both triumphs and setbacks.
Adan Rodriguez, president of the Associated Students of UW Bothell and the speaker selected to represent undergraduate students, encouraged graduates to think back to their first days at UW Bothell — perhaps sitting in the Campus Library, working through an assignment and uncertain about what the future might hold. The hundreds of days that followed, he said, were defined by growth and community.
Throughout his time as a student leader, Rodriguez learned that growth sometimes requires letting go. He recounted a time when he chose to step away from a leadership position. “Letting go allowed others to lead and allowed me to grow,” he said.
As graduates prepared to leave campus, Rodriguez urged them to carry forward the same grit that sustained them through long nights of studying and demanding projects.
“We aren’t here to passively accept what comes next. We are here to approach the world with intention, turning challenges into opportunities.”
Appreciating the journey
Graduate student speaker Liam Taishi Hunter offered a reflection on the value of life’s countless experiences — even those that seem insignificant in the moment.
Hunter shared his struggle with imposter syndrome and his concern that time spent outside academics might somehow diminish his accomplishments and that he’d wasted his time on trivial pursuits. A professor’s advice helped him reframe that thinking.
“I realized he was trying to tell us that experiences cannot be lost,” Hunter said. “Even if we eventually forget these moments, they undeniably shaped the person we’ve become.”
From tutoring sessions and failed assignments to friendships, family support and unexpected acts of gratitude, Hunter encouraged graduates to appreciate every step of their journey.
“There is no one defining moment,” he said. “Who I am today is the accomplishment of every experience I have ever had.”
Transforming challenges into opportunities
The conferral of the Chancellor’s Medal highlighted another story of how perseverance, service and optimism can transform challenges into opportunities. The medal is awarded to a student who has overcome significant obstacles while inspiring fellow students, faculty and staff.
Esterberg presented the medal to Koket Gebiremichael, who graduated with degrees in Health Studies and in Law, Economics & Public Policy, Gebiremichael plans to become a nurse, inspired by a healthcare professional who cared for her during a childhood illness in Ethiopia.
Her journey began long before arriving at UW Bothell. When she was an infant, her parents moved to the United States to establish a life that would eventually allow her to join them. Raised by her grandparents during her early years, she immigrated to the United States at age 6 and had to adapt to a new country, culture and educational system.
As the first person in her family to attend college in the United States, Gebiremichael worked from the age of 16 to fund her education. Along the way, she served in numerous roles, including nursing assistant, lab assistant, tutor and resident adviser.
She also faced financial, social and personal challenges throughout her time at UW Bothell. Yet she became known across campus for her ability to connect with others, her commitment to service and her optimism.
“I will not stand here and tell you that everything will be easy. What I will tell you is this: You are more prepared than you realize.”
UW Bothell Chancellor Kristin G. Esterberg
‘The world needs your hope’
Gebiremichael’s story echoed the themes speakers returned to throughout the Commencement ceremonies: resilience, community and the power of maintaining hope through adversity.
As the Class of 2026 leaves UW Bothell, they do so at a time when certainty can be hard to find. Yet they were reminded that uncertainty need not be a barrier to action. Hope, the speakers suggested, is not something that arrives once challenges disappear. It is what allows people to face those challenges in the first place.
The graduates who filled the commencement stage have already demonstrated that capacity through years of persistence, collaboration and growth. Now, as they begin the next chapter, they carry with them the tools to build, lead and contribute in a changing world.
“The world needs your talent, your resilience and, above all, your hope,” Esterberg told the Class of 2026.
