Speakers: Joe Piscopo and Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez
Georgian Court University will celebrate its 115th Annual Commencement Ceremonies on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at the Wellness Center Arena on campus in Lakewood, N.J.
Degrees will be conferred* on 540 students from the University’s three schools: 363 bachelor’s degrees, 171 master’s degrees, and 6 doctoral degrees. The new Master of Social Work program will mark the first class of graduates with 28 students completing degree requirements.
The youngest graduate is 19, and the oldest is 74. First-generation students make up 25 percent of the undergraduate class. In addition, 4 students have successfully completed the Transition and Career Studies Program (TCS), a non-degree certificate program designed for students with intellectual disabilities that offers full immersion in college life, opportunities to grow academically and socially, and the chance to identify a career path.
The day begins with a Baccalaureate Mass at 10 a.m. at the Dorothy Marron University Chapel. The traditional bagpipe-led student and faculty procession begins at 12:10 p.m. at Jeffries Hall and processes across campus to the Wellness Center for the undergraduate ceremony at 12:30 p.m.
The undergraduate speaker will be N.J. Hall of Fame Inductee Joe Piscopo, a New Jersey native, renowned actor (Saturday Night Live), radio host of the Joe Piscopo Show, and founder of the Positive Impact Foundation. He will be presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.
The graduate speaker will be Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, a graphic novelist, activist, creator of La Borinqueña—an original Puerto Rican superhero—and a philanthropist who works closely with the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey. He will be presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.
The graduate procession will start at 5:15 p.m. at Jeffries Hall and conclude at the Wellness Center for the ceremony at 5:30 p.m.
The three schools will award the following degrees:
- School of Arts, Sciences, and Education: 133 bachelor’s, 96 master’s, and 6 doctoral degrees (Psy.D.)
- School of Business & Digital Media: 63 bachelor’s and 26 master’s
- Hackensack Meridian Health School of Nursing and Wellness at GCU: 167 bachelor’s and 49 master’s, including 28 MSW degrees
The undergraduate student address will be presented by Hunter Rindos, a resident of Islip, Long Island, who will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Business Administration.
The graduate student address will be presented by Sophia Melendez, a resident of Union, N.J., who is a member of the first class of students to earn a Master of Social Work degree.
*The graduation numbers include students who completed degree requirements in May 2026, August 2025, December 2025, and February 2026.
