When ºÚÁÏÍø President Todd Diacon took the stage at spring 2026 Commencement, he didn't open with statistics or institutional milestones. He opened with a potato peeler.
Drawing on his own work history, from a Kansas restaurant at age 14 to a college career mastering the Hobart commercial dishwasher, Diacon delivered an address built around a thesis he clearly believes deeply.
Kent State students are, in his words, "proudly not pampered."
They work. They balance. They earn their way through college while building the skills, grit, fortitude and experience that make them stand out long after graduation day.
It's a message Diacon said he hears confirmed regularly from employers who seek him out to praise their Kent State hires, and from the students he encounters across Northeast Ohio while running errands, grabbing lunch or stopping into a hardware store.
The Class of 2026, he told the crowd, is living proof.
Watch President Diacon's full commencement address in the video below.
Kent State welcomed nearly 5,000 new graduates into its alumni family during spring 2026 Commencement ceremonies, held across three days of celebration on the Kent Campus.