Grad plans are submitted, speakers are confirmed and other final preparations are underway as Bemidji State University looks forward to its annual Commencement ceremonies, May 8 at Bemidji’s Sanford Center.
Bemidji State will hold two commencement ceremonies, at 10 a.m. for graduates of its Sunderman College of Creativity, Enterprise and Place, and 1 p.m. for graduates from its College of Sciences and Health.
Retired U.S. Air Force officer and sustainable farming advocate Brent Larson will deliver BSU’s commencement addresses on behalf of R. Allen Sunderman, a philanthropist and BSU alumnus who is being posthumously honored as the recipient of BSU’s 43rd Distinguished Minnesotan Award.
About BSU’s Distinguished Minnesotan Award
Pictured above, far right: Brent Larson. Also pictured (L to R): Brian Larson, Allen Sunderman and Dan Koskovick.
First presented by Bemidji State University in 1981, the Distinguished Minnesotan Award acknowledges the contributions of current or former residents of the state who have performed exemplary service to the people of Minnesota or the United States. Recipients of the award have traditionally delivered BSU’s commencement address.
R. Allen Sunderman, born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1948, lived a life of service and spirit before his death from cancer in 2019 at age 71. He served as a member of the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam conflict before graduating from BSU in 1975 with a degree in business administration. Supported by his husband, Daniel Koskovick, Sunderman became successful in real estate, in part by embracing technological advances as an early adopter. This foresight led to a desire to support information technology education for students in Northern Minnesota.
Earlier this spring, Sunderman’s estate bestowed an $8.1 million gift to BSU to establish the Sunderman College of Creativity, Enterprise and Place. The gift, one of the most significant in the university’s history, is a permanent investment in technology and Northern Minnesota’s regional workforce.
Brent Larson, a licensed real estate broker and appraiser who joined the Sunderman team in 2005, will accept the Distinguished Minnesotan award on Sunderman’s behalf and deliver this year’s BSU commencement addresses. Before joining the Sunderman team, Larson spent nearly 30 years with the U.S. Air Force as both an active duty and reserve officer and has been a champion for sustainable land use. He was honored by the Iowa Soybean Association for his conservation efforts with the organization’s 2018 Environmental Leader Award. He also was named one of the association’s Front 40 Champions, a group of 40 Iowans who are on the forefront of agricultural conservation in the state. Larson and his family operate a farm in Webster County, Iowa.
Additional Speakers
Also joining this year’s graduates will be Jim Grabowska, a member of the Board of Trustees for the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities. Grabowska, who was appointed to the Board of Trustees by Gov. Tim Walz in 2022, is a career educator who retired in 2021 after 23 years on the faculty at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Prior to that he taught a variety of subjects at the high school level, both in the U.S. and abroad, and also taught on the faculties at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. John’s University/College of St. Benedict and at the state university of Cuenca, Ecuador.
Grabowska will deliver greetings from Minnesota State Chancellor Scott Olson to both BSU and NTC graduates.
Student commencement speakers will be announced at this year’s ceremonies.
2026 Commencement Quick Facts
Bemidji State University will hold its 2026 commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 8, at Bemidji’s Sanford Center.
- 10 a.m. — Sunderman College of Creativity, Enterprise & Place
- 1 p.m. — College of Sciences & Health
More information is available online.