Members of Marymount University’s Class of 2026 celebrated graduation with encouragement to maintain their core values as they move through a complex and ever-changing world.
“Every setback carries a lesson. Every challenge carries an opportunity,” said Mario Murgado, a philanthropist and president/CEO of Florida-based Murgado Automotive Group, at the undergraduate commencement ceremony held yesterday (Sunday) at DAR Constitution Hall.
It was the university’s 75th commencement exercise, traced back to its founding as a two-year women’s junior college in 1950 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary order of Catholic nuns.
Having become fully coeducational in the 1970s, the Arlington-based institution today confers degrees up to the doctoral level.
Murgado was just 4 years old when his parents put him on a plane, without them, so he could leave Cuba and live with family in the United States, in hopes that other family members eventually would be able to join them.
“Imagine the courage of my parents,” he said. “Gracias mama y papa.”
Murgado told new graduates that their own parents also had given of themselves on their behalf.
“Many of them sacrificed things that you may never fully understand so that you can sit here today in that cap and gown,” he said. “[They] believed in you when you were not fully sure you believed in yourself.”
Family, friends and teachers and others also played a role, he said.
“Behind every diploma is a list of people who quietly make it possible,” he said.
The university’s chaplain, the Rev. Gabriel Muteru, said that while Marymount prepared students for what lies ahead, it was “just the beginning of applying the skills learned into the service of humanity.”
Among those at the undergraduate ceremony was Renee Schmidt of Vienna, who earned a bachelor of science degree in artificial intelligence.
In a university profile, Schmidt said her Marymount experience had been “really positive.”
“Marymount has been incredibly supportive, and I’ve found a strong sense of community here,” she said. “Being at a smaller school means you get to know your professors and classmates, which makes a big difference.”
On Sunday afternoon, graduate and doctoral degrees were conferred, also at Constitution Hall.
“Milestones matter,” said former Virginia Education Secretary Aimee Rogstad Guidera, the main speaker at the graduate-student ceremony. “You’re going to go out of these doors and you’re going to go out into the world — you’re going to make it stronger, you’re going to make it healthier, you’re going to make it safer and you’re going to make it a more educated place.”
Like speakers before her, Guidera asked the new graduates to thank their friends and family.
“They’ve been cheering you on for your entire educational journey,” she said.
Among those at the graduate commencement ceremony was Kayla Gray-Hillian of Frederick, Md., who earned a doctor of physical therapy degree.
She said Marymount offered something special.
“I explored a lot of great schools, and Marymount was the only one that had a service learning trip built into the program,” she said. “That dedication to service and hands-on learning really stood out to me. I felt like it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Of her university experience, Gray-Hillian added:
“It truly feels like a family. The professors are so supportive. You can go to them for anything, and they care about you not just as a student but as a person. It’s a collaborative environment with your fellow students, as well, where you feel like you’re growing together.”
At the undergraduate ceremony, Marymount President Irma Becerra told new graduates that despite — or perhaps because of — advances in technology, core values are more important than ever.
“The world still needs human beings who can think critically, lead ethically, collaborate with each other and solve problems with compassion and creativity,” she said.
Murgado, who began his professional life as a car salesman before building his automotive firm, advised students to embrace the opportunities that lay before them.
“I am deeply grateful for this incredible country,” he said.
In the days leading up to the commencements, Marymount also held a doctoral hooding ceremony and the traditional “pinning” ceremony for those earning nursing degrees.
The ceremonies came during the heart of local commencement season for institutions of higher education. George Mason University held its main ceremony last week, and Northern Virginia Community College held its own on Monday.
Photos via Marymount University/YouTube
