Flowers around campus are beginning to bloom, which can only mean one thing: Commencement Day at St. Norbert College is just around the corner. The Class of 2026 is wrapping up its final semester at what will soon become their alma mater, and a sense of eagerness and excitement fills the air. This year’s celebration will not only mark the academic achievements of the Class of 2026, but also welcome home a Green Knight alumnus whose message of peace and courage reflects the heart of a St. Norbert education.

St. Norbert College’s 127th Commencement ceremony will take place on May 17, 2026. The day will begin with a Baccalaureate Mass, followed by an optional on-campus brunch. Later in the afternoon, families and soon-to-be graduates will gather for the Commencement ceremony, followed by a celebratory reception. Full details about the day’s events are available at snc.edu/commencement.

The college will award 364 undergraduate degrees, 23 graduate degrees, and one pre-law certificate. Among the graduates, 182 students will receive honors distinctions. The class represents 22 states and three countries — the United States, Canada, and India.

The class includes 34 graduates of the St. Norbert College Honors Program and 173 student-athletes.

The college is excited to announce the Rt. Rev. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., ’09 as this year’s Commencement speaker. A proud St. Norbert College alumnus and a lifelong member of the local community, Abbot Vanden Branden brings both a deep connection to SNC and a message rooted in courage, service, and leadership.

A priest of St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere, Abbot Vanden Branden grew up in West De Pere, attending Our Lady of Lourdes parish and school and West De Pere High School. He graduated from St. Norbert College in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in choral music education before entering the novitiate at St. Norbert Abbey in 2010.

Following his novitiate, he attended Catholic Theological Union in Chicago where he received a Master’s Degree in Divinity in 2016. He was ordained to the priesthood that same year and earned a Master’s Degree in Liturgy in 2017.

As he prepares to address graduates who are stepping into a rapidly changing and often uncertain world, Abbot Vanden Branden hopes the Class of 2026 will carry two guiding principles with them beyond campus. “The message that I hope the Class of 2026 takes with them is twofold: peace and courage. The world that we are in at the moment has plenty of chaos to be fearful of. However, at St. Norbert College we are called to be ministers of peace and reconciliation like St. Norbert. And, the Scriptures often speak of peace and the courage to not be afraid. It is my hope that the graduates would leave SNC with those two attitudes to leave an impression on a hurting world.”

Abbot Vanden Branden’s message reflects the values at the heart of a St. Norbert College education as the Class of 2026 prepares to take its next steps beyond the arch of campus.

The undergraduate student speaker will be Savannah R. Kobasic ’26, a biology major with a biomedical sciences concentration, and a double minor in chemistry and business administration. The graduate speaker will be Reetika Verma MBA ’26.

Faculty awards will be presented during the ceremony.