UConn’s Neag School of Education held its undergraduate commencement ceremony at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday morning, celebrating 139 Bachelor of Science graduates from its Sport Management and Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Teacher Education programs.
The joyful day began with a beloved Neag School tradition: the procession of graduates down Glenbrook Road from the Gentry Building to the Jorgensen, led by UConn’s mascot Jonathan XV. Once inside the auditorium, the Class of 2026 was greeted by cheers and applause from hundreds of family, friends, and other guests. The Neag School of Education banner was presented and placed onstage by Amariah Armstrong, the class representative. Lead Marshal Megan Staples, associate professor of mathematics education, then opened the commencement ceremony before welcoming Associate Dean Laura Burton to the podium. Burton shared emcee responsibilities with Associate Dean Morgaen Donaldson throughout the ceremony.
“It may sound cliché, but it is true: our students are special,” Donaldson said. “They are dedicating themselves to career paths that seek to improve education, support sport, and serve youth. As we like to say, there’s no place like the Neag School. Today’s graduates are proof of that. … All of us in the Neag School are already looking forward to the achievements that these selfless, dedicated young people are certain to realize in the years to come.”
This year’s commencement speaker was Jocelyn Tamborello-Noble ’03, ’04 MA, ’09 6th Year, principal of the nationally ranked Conard High School in West Hartford, Connecticut. A native of Santiago, Chile, Tamborello-Noble moved to the United States at age 8 and is a proud graduate of Conard High School herself. She is a former president of the Neag School of Education Alumni Board and has chaired its Student and Alumni Networking Committee. She also served as Northeast Regional Director for the Connecticut Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages.
Under her leadership, Conard High School has earned national recognition, continuing to rank among the top high schools in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report, and was named Connecticut High School of the Year for 2026 by the Connecticut Association of Schools.
“You will walk into classrooms and sports facilities without always knowing the full stories of the individuals in front of you — their triumphs, their struggles, their unseen battles,” Tamborello-Noble said to the graduates. “You won’t always see the impact you’re making at the moment. But I promise you — you are making one. In the quiet encouragement, the moments of patience, and the belief you hold for a student or athlete when they cannot yet hold it for themselves — you remind them that they matter. You show them their worth. You are entrusted with the future.”
When the work becomes hard, Tamborello-Noble urged the Class of 2026 to think back to that moment — their graduation and their time at the Neag School.
“Remember who you are,” she said. “Remember why you chose this path. I see you as educators and sport management professionals who will lead with heart. I see you creating spaces where every child feels seen, valued, and believed in.”
You won’t always see the impact you’re making at the moment. But I promise you — you are making one. — Jocelyn Tamborello-Noble ’03, ’04 MA, ’09 6th Year
As it was Mother’s Day, Burton took a moment early on in the ceremony to thank all the mother figures in the audience or elsewhere who guided and supported the graduates. Then a short video played that was a compilation of Mother’s Day wishes recorded by some of the Neag School graduates. It was a heartfelt moment that had many in the audience looking for tissues. Another touching moment during the ceremony was when a second video played, sharing words of wisdom from second graders in one of the Neag School seniors’ student teaching classrooms. A few suggestions included, “It’s OK to start slow, turtles win races, too,” “Don’t lose your car keys,” and “Sometimes you need to do hard things to get strong.”
Another beloved Neag School commencement tradition is a performance by the graduating music education students toward the end of the ceremony. This year, 12 graduates performed an arrangement of “In My Life” by the Beatles.
Vice Provost Dan Schwartz was in attendance to congratulate the graduates and confer the Bachelor of Science degrees.
“I charge you now to assume fully the responsibilities of your new status, to enlarge upon the foundations of knowledge which you have acquired, to take upon yourselves the obligations of an enlarged vision, and to seek to do your fair share of the work of this world,” Schwartz said. “You are now alumni of UConn’s Neag School of Education. Congratulations!”
The UConn Neag School of Education commencement ceremony was also livestreamed and is still available for viewing.
