As she addressed thousands gathered inside SUNY Oswego’s Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall, graduating senior and Student Association President Oghenetega “Tega” Adjoh reminded the Class of 2026 that growth often begins in uncertainty.

“We are not being buried, we are being planted,” Adjoh told graduates during remarks shared across all three of the university’s Commencement ceremonies on May 16. “Being planted requires patience. It requires choosing what is right for you over what feels good in the moment.”

Her words captured a common theme woven throughout the day’s celebrations: resilience, reinvention and the transformative power of education.

Across three ceremonies honoring graduates from SUNY Oswego’s four colleges, university leaders, student speakers and distinguished alumni challenged graduates to embrace uncertainty, stay curious and boldly shape the future ahead.

Alumni advice

Three accomplished alumni returned to campus as honorary degree recipients and Commencement speakers, each sharing personal stories of unexpected turns, perseverance and lifelong connection to Oswego.

At the morning ceremony for the College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Engineering, 1979 graduate and marine scientist William F. Precht received an honorary doctor of science degree in recognition of his internationally renowned work studying, protecting and restoring coral reef ecosystems. A globally recognized coral reef scientist and environmental consultant, Precht has spent decades advancing research on climate change’s impact on reefs while mentoring future conservation leaders.

Reflecting on his own student experience nearly five decades earlier, Precht recalled how a SUNY Oswego study-abroad opportunity in Jamaica changed the trajectory of his life.

“On my first dive at Discovery Bay, I was awestruck by the beauty and majesty of the coral reef ecosystem,” Precht said. “That memory, now etched in time, set the foundation for the career that followed.”

Precht credited mentors, professors and experiential learning opportunities at Oswego for helping shape his future, urging graduates to use their education to make a meaningful impact.

“Today is your day,” he told graduates. “It’s now your turn to set the world on fire. It’s your turn to make a difference.”

During the 12:30 p.m. ceremony for the College of Business and Entrepreneurship, 1993 graduate and entrepreneur and clean beauty pioneer Indie Lee (Lisa Swengros Agona) received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. Founder and brand director of Indie Lee & Company, Lee built an internationally recognized clean beauty brand after surviving a life-threatening brain tumor diagnosis. Her company has helped lead the clean beauty movement through eco-conscious, non-toxic skincare products now sold worldwide.

Lee spoke candidly about uncertainty, career pivots and rebuilding her life after illness.

“You are graduating into a world that genuinely nobody has a map for,” Lee said. “The industries you’re entering are being rebuilt in real time.”

Sharing her own unconventional path from accounting and corporate finance to entrepreneurship and advocacy, Lee encouraged graduates to abandon the pressure of following a perfectly linear plan.

“The bravest professional decision I have ever watched someone make was not a bold launch or an aggressive bet,” she said. “It was the person who said out loud, ‘This is not what I thought it was going to be,’ and then did something about it.”

Lee also emphasized the importance of personal well-being and self-compassion.

“Your physical and mental health matter,” she told graduates. “Be gentle with yourself when it does not go the way you expected.”

At the afternoon ceremony for the College of Communication, Media and the Arts and the College of Education, Health and Human Services, 1991 graduate and corporate finance attorney Steven Messina received an honorary doctor of laws degree. Messina serves as global head of finance at the international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and is widely recognized as a leader in banking and finance law. A first-generation college student, Messina has also remained deeply engaged with SUNY Oswego through philanthropy, mentorship and scholarship support.

Messina shared how he arrived at Oswego intending to become a broadcast meteorologist before an unexpected conversation with a professor altered his thinking about the future.

“Only that professor saw something in me that I wouldn’t recognize for years to come,” Messina said. “Potential.”

He encouraged graduates to remain flexible and open to opportunities they may never have anticipated.

“You are not locked into any singular path, and success doesn’t have one definition,” he said. “Life won’t be a straight path, but you will always have the tools to draw on when faced with twists and turns.”

Messina also reminded graduates of the strength of the Oswego alumni network.

“You are not transitioning from student to professional all alone,” he said. “You have a vast network of alumni to lean on for support and for guidance.”

'You get to decide'

Adjoh, who served as student speaker during all three ceremonies, delivered deeply reflective remarks centered on identity, perseverance and personal growth.

She challenged classmates to embrace seasons of uncertainty and remain grounded in self-awareness and compassion.

“Being lost is not a crisis, it’s an invitation,” Adjoh said. “Because when nothing feels decided, you get to decide.”

She also encouraged graduates to prioritize purpose over external expectations.

“When you do not know yourself, it is so easy to build a life around expectations that were never truly yours,” she said.

Throughout her address, Adjoh repeatedly emphasized kindness, patience and the unseen struggles many students carried during their college journeys.

“The world will remember how you made it feel,” she told classmates. “Not your titles, not your trophies, but how you treated people while you were still becoming.”

'Education changes lives"

SUNY Oswego President Dr. Peter O. Nwosu, closed each ceremony by encouraging graduates to reflect on how far they had come — both literally and figuratively.

As part of his charge to graduates, Nwosu asked students to look down at the shoes they wore to Commencement.

“Those shoes have stories,” Nwosu said. “They have carried you through long nights of studying, early morning classes, heartbreaks, triumphs and moments of unexpected joy.”

He shared that he still keeps the shoes he wore when he first arrived in the United States displayed in his office as a reminder of his own educational journey and resilience.

“Education changes lives,” Nwosu said. “It opens doors, but you have to use it.”

He urged graduates to carry forward three guiding principles as they begin the next chapter of their lives.

“Be humble,” he said. “Be kind. And be bold.”

-- Submitted by University Advancement