Roxbury Community College (RCC) will honor the Class of 2026 at the 50th Commencement
Ceremony on Friday, May 15, 2026. Dr. Suzanne Elise Walsh, President of City University
in Seattle and Board Chair of Achieving the Dream, is the 2026 Commencement Speaker.
“Dr. Suzanne Walsh’s commitment to community colleges and student success is truly
unparalleled,” said Dr. Jonathan K. Jefferson, President of Roxbury Community College.
“Immediately upon hearing Dr. Walsh speak at this year’s DREAM Conference, and meeting
her shortly thereafter, I knew that her confidence, energy, and deep-rooted commitment
to celebrating achievement would truly inspire RCC’s Class of 2026.”
Dr. Suzanne Elise Walsh knows community colleges from the inside out — as a student,
as the daughter of a community college professor, and as a staff member at Cuyahoga
Community College early in her career. That foundation has shaped everything she has
done since.
Her leadership career spans philanthropy, institutional transformation, and global
higher education. She served as the 19th President of Bennett College, a historically
Black college for women, where she led a comprehensive turnaround that raised student
retention to 90 percent and achieved three consecutive years of sustained institutional
growth. Prior to that, she directed more than $70 million in national initiatives
at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and held senior roles at the Lumina Foundation
and The Heinz Endowment.
Dr. Walsh is a member of the Global Learning Council, an international body based
in Switzerland, and has served on the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council
on the Future of Universities. She has spoken at global forums including ASU+GSV,
SXSW EDU, and EdCrunch in Kazakhstan.
“Graduates today are entering a world that needs their discipline, courage, and creativity,”
said Dr. Suzanne Elise Walsh. “I look forward to encouraging RCC's graduates to trust
the work they’ve done, believe in their capacity to lead change, and carry that confidence
forward by investing their talents back into their families, neighborhoods, and futures.”
Dr. Walsh holds degrees from Cornell University and Case Western Reserve University,
including a Juris Doctor and a Master of Social Work, and has received honorary doctorates
from Case Western Reserve University and Johnson C. Smith University.
Dr. Walsh will celebrate the accomplishments of RCC’s Class of 2026 with RCC faculty,
staff, the College’s 2026 award winners, college supporters, and RCC alumni. The Class
of 2026 exemplifies the resilience that has defined RCC since its founding in 1973.
The College will host its commencement ceremony at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic
Center at 1350 Tremont Street in Roxbury.
