Bemidji State University celebrated its graduating class of 2026 during May 8 commencement ceremonies at the Sanford Center.
Graduates of BSU’s Sunderman College of Creativity, Enterprise & Place participated in a 10 a.m. ceremony, while graduates from programs in the College of Sciences and Health began their ceremony at 1 p.m.
> More Commencement photos: Mortar Board Gallery
STUDENT COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS
MEADOW KARP
Speaking to graduates of BSU’s Sunderman College of Creativity, Enterprise & Place was Meadow Karp, who received her bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing, along with minors in wildlife biology and environmental science.
Karp, who has been involved in many areas of campus during her three years as a student, invited her fellow graduates to reflect on the number of experiences they’ve had on their own journeys.
“Reflect on the hats you’ve worn and the experiences that have shaped you during your time here,” she said. “Carry them wherever you go; they are a part of who you are and of who you are becoming.”
She also encouraged the Class of 2026 to take up space wherever they may go.
“Your drive to show up and push through when your course load got hard, or the ability to persevere when you overfilled your schedule, got you here,” she said. “You deserve to take up space in this room today; you earned it.”
ELISE MONSON
Speaking to graduates of BSU’s College of Sciences and Health was Elise Monson, who received her master’s degree in environmental studies during the ceremony. Monson served as BSU Student Senate vice president this past year.
Monson’s remarks reflected on her curiosity and drive to learn, which she said were responsible for bringing her to today’s ceremony.
“I have gained so many experiences simply because I pushed myself to find out more,” she said. “I encourage all of you to further lean into your own curiosity, because you truly never now what opportunities you’ll unlock.”
She also called on her fellow graduates to never shy away from things that may challenge them.
“When you really commit to the things that scare you, you’ll also shape your character,” she said. “Dream big and attempt what you think is out of your reach, because when you achieve it you’ll learn how capable you are.”
BSU PRESIDENT JOHN L. HOFFMAN
BSU President John L. Hoffman asked graduates to reflect on their legacy, and to consider what gifts they would be passing forward into their futures.
“You are being sent out on a mission with authority you have earned through your degree, and I ask you to act in ways so that your memory will have an ongoing impact for good.”
Hoffman also called on graduates to follow the examples of this year’s honored commencement guests — R. Allen Sunderman, being posthumously recognized as this year’s Distinguished Minnesotan recipient, and Karla Eischens, retired president and CEO of Sanford Health of Bemidji who received the NTC IMPACT Award and delivered the commencement address for Northwest Technical College.
In late April, BSU announced that Sunderman’s estate had bequeathed an $8.1 million gift — the largest single gift in the university’s history — that it used to establish the Sunderman College of Creativity, Enterprise & Place.
“The monetary gift is amazing,” Hoffman said, “But I invite you to think about the deeper meaning — his legacy, his mission, his authority and impact. His legacy was grounded in hard work, resilience — values of the North — in humility and in service to others that was measured in the impact upon the people he cared about.”
He also invited students to consider their place amongst the land, water and air of the North Woods region. He reflected on lessons learned from the Ojibwe and Dakota people during his four years as BSU and NTC president.
“The land, water and air are not resources for us to own and use and consume,” he said. “Instead, they are entities in and of themselves. They have a history and they have a future. This land, this water, this air has a legacy — a mission, an authority, an ongoing purpose that changes each of you.
“You are part of the legacy of Allen Sunderman and Karla Eischens,” he said. “You are also part of the legacy of this land and water and air.”
DISTINGUISHED MINNESOTAN
Brent Larson delivered the commencement address to BSU’s Class of 2026 on behalf of R. Allen Sunderman, who was posthumously honored as the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Minnesotan award.
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 in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War 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 IT, technology and Northern Minnesota’s regional workforce.
Larson is a licensed real estate broker and appraiser who joined the Sunderman team in 2005. He 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.
Larson’s remarks invited graduates to live their lives by three principles that also guided Sunderman’s life: Foresight, gratitude and belonging.
“Foresight is the ability to predict what will happen or be needed in the future,” Larson said.
He told graduates that foresight involved the ability for anticipatory thinking, which he described as “noticing a small shift today and realizing it will be the industry standard five years from now.” He also asked graduates to perform strategic stewardship, which means making difficult or expensive decisions now as prerequisites for future success. He also asked graduates to have a generational perspective — to care about a future they would not inhabit.
“It is the act of planting a tree today so that someone else, decades from now, can sit in the shade,” he said.
Larson said Sunderman’s gift demonstrated his foresight and his belief in the future success of students he would never meet.
“He believed your place shouldn’t limit your potential; it should be the very thing that launches your potential,” he said. “He saw the world changing, and he wanted to make sure his alma mater was leading that change — not chasing it.”
He reminded graduates that the gift was rooted in gratitude — “a giant ‘thank you’ note to the place that helped him become the man he was,” Larson said.
Finally, he reminded graduates to find a sense of belonging, wherever their futures may take them.
“Connection is the fuel for creativity,” he said. “When you look through Allen’s lens — when you see the potential in every rural landscape and every digital frontier — you find connections you never thought were possible.”
OTHER GREETINGS
BOARD OF TRUSTEES GREETING
Trustee Jim Grabowska congratulated graduates for their hard work, dedication and perseverance, and said the entire Minnesota State system believes in them and in their future success.
“Each of you represents hope for a bright and bold future — for your families, for your communities, for Minnesota and for our world,” he said.
ALUMNI GREETING
Alex Darsow, a member of the BSU Alumni & Foundation Board of Directors and a 2017 BSU sports management graduate, welcomed the Class of 2026 into the global family of 50,000 living Bemidji State University alumni.
“Being a BSU alum is not just a title,” he said. “It is a relationship, a responsibility and an invitation to stay connected. It is an invitation to help the next Beaver find their way, and an invitation to carry Bemidji State into every room you enter.”
CLASS OF 2026: BY THE NUMBERS
BSU’s class of 2026 earned:
- 96 graduate degrees
- 706 bachelor of science degrees
- 97 bachelor of arts degrees
- 41 bachelor of applied science degrees
- 6 bachelor of music degrees
- 5 bachelor of fine arts degrees
- 22 associate’s degrees
A total of 488 graduates were recognized for graduating with academic honors:
- 202 students graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors
- 181 students graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors
- 105 students graduated with Cum Laude honors
BSU also recognized 10 graduates of its McNair Scholars program and seven graduates of its Honors Program. In addition, 33 military veterans or active-duty service members and 10 international students representing eight nations earned degrees.
ACADEMIC HONORS
Graduating students are recognized for outstanding academic achievement through their careers by being granted commencement honors. This practice dates back to Europe’s earliest colleges and universities in the 13th Century. Summa Cum Laude is the highest honor, denoting a student who graduates with an overall grade-point average of 3.90 or higher. Magna Cum Laude honors are bestowed on graduates with GPAs of no less than 3.75 but less than 3.90. Cum Laude honors are bestowed on graduates with GPAs between 3.50 and 3.75.
Fall classes begin Monday, August 24, 2026. To learn more or to register for classes, visit BemidjiState.edu.