'Be proud': Carroll College celebrates graduates at 116th commencement ceremony
Carroll College celebrated 281 graduates on Saturday with speeches about faculty's goals for them, personal mementos and memories and heartfelt sendoffs.
The 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony saw a crowded Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium packed with friends and family of graduates who cheered them on throughout the ceremony.
Graduates sat in their chairs on a white floor with customized caps, black gowns with cords and sashes, some with their home country's flag on them.
Carroll College Co-President Jennifer Glowienka told graduates Saturday was the day their journeys at Carroll ended, but their lives would push onward.
"You carry powerful things forward with you. Knowledge and a way of thinking and a way of being in the world," she said. "... Stay curious about the world and compassionate toward the people within it. Keep asking the difficult questions. Keep seeking truth with both humility and courage."
Carroll College Communications professor Alan Hansen gave the graduates three goals by which to continue living.
Keep learning, stay connected and become a saint. "Be proud, class of 2026," he said.
After multiple speeches, awards and scholarships given to students and faculty, and graduates were ushered to the stage. They each walked across, one step closer to graduating, before turning their tassel and the page in their lives.
A scene from the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony on May 9 at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordCo-President of Carroll College Jennifer Glowienka speaks to graduates during the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony on May 9 at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordCarroll College graduate Stella Joy Claridge of Kalispell hugs a professor after walking across the stage at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium on May 9 during the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordA scene from the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony on May 9 at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordRev. Austin Vetter speaks to a crowd at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium on May 9 during the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordA scene from the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony on May 9 at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordA scene from the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony on May 9 at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordA Scene from the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium on May 9. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordA scene from the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony on May 9 at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordA scene from the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium on May 9. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordA scene from the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium on May 9. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordCommunications professor Alan Hansen gives a speech to a crowd at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium on May 9 during the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordCarroll College graduate Gabriella Emma Stock holds a baby on May 9 as she walks across the stage at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium during the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordCarroll College graduate Andrias Mekonnen Zelele of Kobo, Ethiopia taps his degree with his hand as he holds it against his chest on May 9 during the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordCarroll College graduate Joseph Kahal Martin of Ashton, Idaho stands in line with fellow graduates on May 9 during the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony as he waits to cross the stage at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordCarroll College graduate Christopher Jack Conway gives his class of 2026 address during the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium on May 9. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordCarroll College graduate Xzavier Ford of Glendora, California shows emotion after receiving his degree during the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony on May 9 at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordCody Magpie of Lame Deer stands holding a flag while wearing moccasins before the start of the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony on May 9 at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordCarroll College graduates enter Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium on May 9 for the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordA scene from the 116th Carroll College commencement ceremony on May 9 at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium. / SONNY TAPIA, Independent Record
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