This May, the University of Oklahoma honors the Class of 2026 during the 135th commencement ceremony. To celebrate, we gathered the stories of OU's newest alumni to share their legacies and reveal what comes next.
A transfer student's story
As one of the newest members of the OU Alumni Family, Naomi's OU story began several states away in South Carolina, where she attended another university closer to her home and family in Peconic, New York. By the time her first semester ended, she knew she belonged in Norman, Oklahoma, on OU's campus, pursuing a creative media production degree.
An Oklahoma student's story
For Brysan, some of his best memories come from the University before he was an official member of the student body: Baker Mayfield's 2017 season; Buddy Hield's dominance on the court in 2016; and Trevor Knight leading the Sooners to victory against the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2014. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a student athlete for OU, but that changed after a near-fatal skiing accident led him to pursue a new passion: physical therapy.
Q&A with a
military-connected student
Two years ago, on the deck of an aircraft carrier in San Diego, California, then-OU-sophomore Aaron Gilson-Bond decided how he wanted to use his mechanical engineering degree: continue his military service and become a nuclear surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy. Now, Aaron’s dreams are already fully realized. After graduation, he will report to the USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) as a nuclear surface warfare officer.
A first-generation
student's story
When Chabelli arrived on campus in 2022, her freshman class was larger than the total population of her rural hometown, Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Upon that realization, she questioned if she made the right decision. By the time she finished her undergraduate journey, Chabelli realized that choosing OU was one of the best decisions she could make.
Q&A with an
out-of-state student
Before Granger Lusk joined the OU Family, he considered attending a college closer to home in Texas. He was even offered a scholarship that would cover the majority of costs — but Granger knew where he belonged, and that was where his passion for theater could intersect with state-of-the-art facilities, passionate faculty members, and a close knit community of students.
A graduation story of how two freshman at the University of Oklahoma — Emma Ludwig and Ella Dreese — found a best friend in each other as roommates.
See how OU celebrates the newest members of the OU Alumni Family at Party at the Palace, a university-wide event that features drone shows, entertainment in the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, and more!
