at Ashtabula will celebrate the end of the academic year and honor the spring graduating class when it holds the campus’s 82nd commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 7, 2026, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Susan J. Stocker Hall gymnasium.
“Commencement is a major milestone in the lives of our students,” said Dean and Chief Administrative Officer R. William (Bill) Ayres IV, Ph.D. “It’s such a special night to celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of these graduates here on campus and in the familiar and intimate environment the event deserves.”
Nearly 100 graduates and special honorees will be recognized at the ceremony. Ashley Carlucci ’06, DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, CENP, the System Chief Nursing Executive for Allegheny Health Network, will receive the Roger T. Beitler Distinguished Former Student Award while The Ashtabula Area College Committee, Inc. will also present its Community Service Award to Maureen Burke, SND, president of Saint John School. The AACCI will also hand out its academic achievement awards.
The evening will feature two graduates delivering remarks. Nikole Fuqua, who is receiving her bachelor of social work degree, and Honey Curry, who is earning her associate of science degree, will represent the class of 2026.
“We all share the pride in our graduating students and the joy at the prospects that lie ahead,” Ayres said. “The faculty and staff of Kent State Ashtabula are committed to helping students achieve their dreams and providing the support and resources they need to be successful in their studies and impactful in their careers, in their communities and in society.”
Additionally, the traditional pin ceremony for graduates in the Associate Degree in Nursing program will take place earlier in the evening in the Stocker Hall Auditorium.
For those unable to attend in person, the commencement ceremony will be streamed live and archived to the campus YouTube channel.