2026 Winter Commencement at Lehman College
“Use this education with intent”
Full Remarks from CUNY Board Trustee Mayra Linares-García
Good morning and thank you President Delgado, distinguished faculty, families and friends, guests, and most importantly, Class of 2026. It is my distinct honor to stand before you today on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York, but especially como una latina, dominicana, puertorriqueña, del Alto Manhattan.
Mayra Linares-García (center) on stage with Lehman President Fernando Delgado (right) and Provost Jorge Silva-Puras.
Class of 2026, you graduate at a moment of enormous complexity and enormous possibility. Today is about recognition. Recognition of your efforts, persistence, and growth. Each of you arrived at this moment through years of hard work, determination, discipline, and a deep commitment to your education. You reached this milestone through nights of difficult choices and a steady focus on your goals.
What you have accomplished is significant, and it is yours to own. You represent the very best of CUNY and the very best of New York. We are extremely proud of you today.
As graduates of Lehman College, you have been educated in one of the most dynamic cities in the world, alongside classmates whose experience span cultures, languages, and perspectives.
Look around, this is your network.
I want you to remember the people that you spent this time with, because these are going to be your future doctors, lawyers, and your kids’ teachers’ one day. This is going to be a network that you continue to lean on. You have earned your degree from this remarkable institution and, with it, the confidence and preparation to step into the next chapter of your lives. This milestone represents not just what you have learned, but who you have become along the way.
As you pause and take this in, remember the people who stood beside you: your family members, friends, mentors, incredible faculty and staff who believed in you and supported you even when the path felt unclear. Carry those relationships with you just as you carry the lessons and experience gained here and do that for others.
Be that support and encouragement in someone else’s journey.
The world you are entering is complex and consistently changing. You have lived through moments that have tested your resilience and adaptability, yet through it all, you gained the ability to think critically, act thoughtfully, and move forward with purpose. These skills will serve you well, no matter where life takes you.
Only you and those closest to you know what it really took to get here. Feel good. Feel proud. No matter how long or short, or how many jobs or diapers you had to change throughout it, feel good with this accomplishment. Use this education with intent. Be curious, be principled, and be generous with your talents.
Engage with your community. Stand up for fairness and opportunity. And contribute to the world in a meaningful way.
To the families, friends and mentors who supported these graduates, thank you for your belief and sacrifice. This achievement also belongs to you. Les quiero dar las gracias por el apoyo y sacrificio de las familias y los padres y los seres queridos que ayudaron a estos graduados de hoy a llegar a su meta. ¡Muchas gracias!
Class of 2026, we believe in you, and we are excited to see the path you will forge. You leave here not only as graduates but as ambassadors of CUNY’s mission and values. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I wish you every success and happiness in the years ahead.
Congratulations, Class of 2026!
Honorable Mayra Linares-García was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2016. She is a skilled public affairs and communications strategist with more of 15 years of experience across all levels of government. In addition to serving in the CUNY Board’s student life committee, the facility’s planning and management committee, and the technology planning committee, Ms. Linares-García also serves as the Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages.