SAN FRANCISCO, May 28, 2026 — Minerva University celebrated its 2026 graduating class Tuesday at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, honoring nearly 120 undergraduate and graduate students representing more than 40 countries.
The ceremony marked Minerva's eighth graduating class since the university's founding in 2012 and featured remarks from commencement speaker Adam Met, President Mike Magee, Provost Patrice McMahon and student speakers Wisdom Ifode and Jonathan Shamwana.
Leaders from The Nippon Foundation, faculty, staff, families, alumni and distinguished guests attended the ceremony. The commencement speech was delivered by Adam Met, member of the multi-platinum group AJR and founder of Planet Reimagined.
“Minerva students are unlike any students I’ve come across in the United States and around the world,” Met said. “Their focus on social action, understanding the context of community and building things was inspiring from the first day I gave a lecture here.”
Reflecting on his interactions with students over the years, Met said Minerva students consistently leave him optimistic about the future because of their curiosity. “The kind of questions I get from the students gives me hope. It’s an intellectual curiosity, and it’s an emotional curiosity you don’t often see.”
.png)
Provost Patrice McMahon praised graduates as "pathbreakers and risk-takers" who helped build Minerva's community and said they leave equipped to navigate complexity, address global challenges and make decisions of consequence. “Just as Minerva needed you, the world needs you," McMahon said.
President Mike Magee spoke about the growth he has witnessed in the Class of 2026 and the optimism their achievements inspire. “This year is particularly special for me because this graduating class is the first class I welcomed when they were first-year students to San Francisco four years ago,” Magee said.
“It is our graduates that make me optimistic about the world,” Magee said. “Over the last four years, we’ve seen them grow as leaders and problem-solvers who think deeply about how to solve problems involving technical and cultural solutions in every region of the world.”
He described commencement as an expansion of Minerva’s growing global community. “This is the end of one part of the Minerva journey for our graduates but the beginning of another. Every time we have a graduating class at Minerva, our circle of global learners and leaders grows,” Magee said.
Student speakers Wisdom Ifode and Jonathan Shamwana addressed fellow graduates on behalf of the Class of 2026.
Ifode, a computational sciences major from Nigeria, reflected on the courage required to leave home and pursue education across borders, reminding classmates they already possess the resilience needed for the challenges ahead. "You have all the courage you need to face what life throws at you," Ifode said.
Shamwana, an arts and humanities and computational sciences major from Zambia, reflected on the relationships and support systems students built throughout four years of living and learning together around the world. “We held each other through the ecstasy of love and the withering of heartbreak,” Shamwana said. “We’ll hold each other as we dance into graduation night and as we stumble forward into unwritten futures.”
Graduates from the Class of 2026 have secured opportunities across technology, finance, sustainability and research, including graduate study at the University of Oxford and roles at organizations such as Encord, Vanguard and CDP.
Minerva students and alumni have also earned recognition including two Rhodes Scholarships, two Schwarzman Scholarships, two Diana Awards, one Goldwater Scholarship and three Forbes 30 Under 30 honors.
Earlier this month, Minerva was named the world's most innovative university for the fifth consecutive year by the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI).
--
About Minerva University
Minerva University is redefining global higher education through a bold, outcomes-focused model designed to empower the next generation of leaders, thinkers and changemakers. Headquartered in San Francisco, Minerva offers an intensive undergraduate experience that combines rigorous academics, real-world engagement and a global rotation that immerses students in diverse cultural and professional contexts.
Minerva’s interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, creative problem-solving, effective communication and global collaboration. Through fully active, discussion-based seminars and applied learning projects in major cities around the world, students develop the habits of mind and practical skills needed to address the most pressing challenges of our time.
The university has built a vibrant international student body representing over 100 nations, and graduates have gone on to launch high-impact startups, lead civic initiatives, earn Rhodes, Schwarzman and Knight-Hennessy scholarships, and pursue graduate study at institutions such as Oxford, Harvard and Stanford.
Minerva also offers a graduate program focused on equipping working professionals with the tools to drive innovation and impact in their fields.
Ranked the No. 1 Most Innovative University for five consecutive years by the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI), Minerva is pioneering a scalable, equitable and transformative model of higher education for the 21st century.
For media inquiries, contact:
Minerva University
pr@minerva.edu
###