May 11, 2026<\/p>\n
An unmistakable sense of excitement filled the D\u2019Angelo Center<\/a> on April 13 as St. John\u2019s University<\/a> hosted its first-ever Graduation Fair, a collaboration between the Office of Alumni Relations<\/a> and Student Government, Inc.<\/a> that served as a one-stop destination for all things related to Commencement 2026<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Nearly 200 soon-to-be graduates enjoyed a buffet and DJ music while gathering information essential to the May 17 undergraduate ceremony<\/a>, when they officially begin life as St. John\u2019s alumni. Some students, including Jorge Velez, an advertising communications and public relations<\/a> major from the Bronx, NY, could not believe how quickly his time at St. John\u2019s passed. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt was super fast,\u201d Jorge said. \u201cLooking back, the memories I made with my friends were incredible. It is crazy to think that in a short time I will be an alumnus.\u201d<\/p>\n Jorge and his friend Kristen Pooran, a marketing<\/a> student, shared some small bites while gathered at an Alumni Relations information table. The first in her family to attend college, Kristen called her time at St. John\u2019s \u201csurreal.\u201d She has been offered a position as a marketing and communications manager with a magazine publisher.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does not feel real,\u201d Kristen said of graduation. \u201cIt feels like I started here just last week.\u201d<\/p>\n Part information session and part celebration of the class of 2026, the inaugural Graduation Fair introduced students to alumni perks and benefits, University Career Services<\/a> resources, and more. Students could pick up class of 2026 sweaters, diploma cases, and scholarship cords while also receiving information on graduate school opportunities.<\/p>\n At separate tables, students could also thank scholarship donors and, of course, their parents and families. Aleena Alduenda, who will graduate with a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology<\/a> as part of a five-year, dual-degree program, is another first-generation college graduate.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a huge accomplishment for me to graduate, but it is a reflection on my family as well,\u201d Aleena said. \u201cIt was not only my hard work, but the work of those who supported me.\u201d<\/p>\n Giselle Suarez, a graduating biology<\/a> student, credited the St. John\u2019s community with helping set her on a path toward a career as a physician assistant. \u201cWithout the help of the alumni, faculty<\/a>, staff, and administration here, you would not be able to get far,\u201d Giselle said. \u201cThey are the ones who have gone ahead of you.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Beatriz Vera, Assistant Director, Young Alumni and Student Engagement, Office of Alumni Relations, said events such as the Graduation Fair help the newest generation of St. John\u2019s graduates establish lifelong alumni connections.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is all about building that community\u2014developing a pipeline between the school and its alumni early on and showing the students the value of being a St. John\u2019s graduate,\u201d Ms. Vera explained.<\/p>\n