2026 Winter Commencement at Lehman College
“Here, I was offered a second chance”
Full Remarks from Commencement Speaker Diana Janna Reyes Núñez
“I discovered a community defined by resilience,” says Diana Janna Reyes Núñez of Lehman College.
Good morning, faculty, staff, administrators, distinguished guests, loved ones, and most importantly, my fellow Lehman graduates of the Class of 2026.
My name is Diana Janna Reyes Núñez, and it is an incredible honor to speak to you today at Lehman College’s first Winter Commencement Ceremony.
First. First, it is a word that carries both momentum and legacy. Many of us here today are the first. The first in our families to attend college, the first to navigate the complexities of financial aid, the first to balance work, kids, and school, while chasing dreams our parents may have thought impossible.
Being the first carries immense pride and responsibility. Today marks a special first for me as well. It is a dream over eight years in the making. My path through higher education was far from linear. I stumbled. I failed. I swam hard to stay afloat. I confronted mental health challenges, battles with my body, and family hardships that made every day as a student feel like an uphill climbing. But stepping foot on this campus in fall 2024 felt like a homecoming.
I returned to Lehman, having once been a visiting student, and found myself back in Bedford Park, the neighborhood that raised me in my adolescence. Here, I was offered a second chance. I was challenged to wrestle with perfectionism and in the process, I discovered a community defined by resilience. As a writing fellow, I guided first year students in finding their literary voices in a world increasingly shaped by AI. As a Help Up coach, I helped students navigate the enrollment process and have met adult degree students with hearts on fire, including one student who is still dreaming of becoming a doctor even at 72 years old.
This is Lehman College. It is a place where perseverance is not the exception. It is the culture. I stand here today as an immigrant from the Dominican Republic carrying a legacy of dreams deferred and hard ones. I lost my mother in 2021 and my soul grandmother two years later. Every late night, every fear, every small victory, carries their presence with me. This degree is not just mine. It is the echo of my mother’s courage, the realization of her prayers, and the fulfillment of my father and my two sisters love and support. I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams… and so are you.
Against hardship, loss and doubt, I persisted. I reclaimed my name and my identity, not just as a student but as a writer, as an educator, and a lifelong learner. Today, I walked this stage feeling the weight and wonder of that truth. My survival, grief and determination are woven into every fabric of this accomplishment.
But today, I also share this accomplishment with all of you. Future teachers, health care providers, artists, business owners, scholars, storytellers, and healers. As we step into this new stage of life, let us carry the Bronx with pride and be brave. Brave like the students and faculty who fought to make Lehman’s English Department one of the few in the nation with a Latinx Literature core requirement. Remember, despite systems that are designed to hold us back, we belong here. Our stories, our ideas, and our courage have the power to push us, push the world towards justice, and towards an equitable future. We can dare to dream together.
I want to thank the faculty and the staff who have guided, advocated, and created the space for us to thrive academically and who have helped build Lehman into a top ranked Hispanic serving institution. I also want to thank the parents and loved ones, those who are here with us today and those who are with us in spirit, whether in our hearts or whether they are miles away. Many of us wouldn’t be here today without your love and support.
Pour les parents : particulièrement les parents immigrants , cette journée est aussi une célébration pour vous. Merci pour tous vous sacrifices et votre amour.
Para los padres inmigrantes quienes viajaron lejos de sus hogares con solo un sueño y la esperanza de un mejor futuro para ustedes y para sus familias: aquí está su legado. Este logro es la culminación de todos sus sacrificios, sus lágrimas y su sudor. Especialmente le dedico este logro a mi padre, quien siempre ha creído en mí aun cuando yo no he creído en mí misma. Y para mi madre, en el cielo, quien vive en todos mis poemas y en cada letra que escribo.
Class of 2026: Today, we join a 57-year legacy, a network of alumni and friends who came before us, and now we get to carry that spark forward. Like lightning bugs, we illuminate the sky, lifting each other up, building community, and creating connections that will last a lifetime. You know what they say, first comes the lightning, then comes the thunder. So, my fellow Lehman graduates, let us erupt this performing arts center through a thunderous [applause]. Congratulations!
The Commencement Speaker, Ms. Diana Janna Reyes Núñez, earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Writing. A proud immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Reyes Núñez is a writer, educator, and advocate whose journey reflects perseverance and purpose. She helped her fellow students develop their own voices and navigate their academic paths.