University of Mississippi

Melanie Tapp and her daughter, Avery Tapp, both walked across the stage at the University of Mississippi's Commencement ceremonies in May. Melanie graduated with a bachelor's degree in allied health studies. Avery earned a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in sociology.

When Will Allen and Channing Foster Allen talk about the University of Mississippi, they do not describe it as just a university. They describe it as the place that kept pulling them back. It was where Will first arrived as a baseball recruit. It was where Channing found a second chance after an injury changed the course of her own soccer recruiting process. It was where both built athletic careers, made lifelong connections, got engaged, got married and, eventually, returned as husband and wife to take on law school together. And in May, they graduated together.

Yasmine Ware came to the University of Mississippi knowing one thing: She wanted to lift the voices of others. The interdisciplinary studies major graduated in May as a Stamps Scholar, a Truman Scholar and the force behind a documentary project preserving the history of Mound Bayou.

Linna Zheng began her college journey at the University of Mississippi with sights set on becoming a dentist. But by her junior year, she realized that her passion and personality were better suited for a career in music. After all, the Fulton resident had been playing violin since she was 5 and played piccolo in the university's Pride of the South Marching Band and flute in the Wind Ensemble during her early college years.

Jana Abdrabbo puts others first. It is not something she announces. It is just how she operates. The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College member graduated from the University of Mississippi in May with a degree from the Croft Institute for International Studies and minors in public policy leadership and Arabic. She has conducted research in the Mississippi Delta and Jordan, built programs on campus and shown up for others in ways large and small.

On his first day on campus at the University of Mississippi, Edward Hunter felt like he had walked into a giant maze. Coming from West Point as a first-generation college student and one of few among his peers to attend university, he wondered if he belonged. However, that doubt began to shift as he found his place on campus. He graduated in May with a degree in political science, having built a record of leadership and public service that stretches from Oxford to Capitol Hill.

Growing up in Taylorville, Illinois, Dan Sloan never gave much thought to Mississippi when considering where to spend his undergraduate days. However, when his older brother headed off to college, a road trip led him straight to Oxford. Immediately, he felt at home. In May, he graduated with a degree in economics and a minor in mathematics, having built a record of research, public service and international experience rooted in a passion for understanding the economic forces that shape our society, nation and world.

Award-winning documentary filmmaker, businesswoman, Mississippian. Lilly Ross has made her mark at the University of Mississippi while exemplifying all these roles. The Madison native graduated in May with a degree in integrated marketing communications from the School of Journalism and New Media.

Adriane Arinder arrived at the University of Mississippi planning to study pharmacy. The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College member left in May with a degree in integrated marketing communications, a place in Vanderbilt University's marketing graduate program and a clearer sense of purpose than she ever expected to find on a path that looked nothing like her plans.

All of Brooklynn Michael's friends tell her she lives a double life. Some days, she dresses up with her sisters at Alpha Delta Pi for a night out. Other days, she's flying off in a UH-60 Blackhawk as the battalion commander for the Ole Miss Army ROTC Program. But she wouldn't have it any other way.

Anthony Miner, of Pearl, who graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor's degree in biological science in May, credits the UM Gospel Choir for helping him grow personally and find his place at Ole Miss. A chance encounter with the choir at a tabling event on the Ole Miss Student Union Plaza in his freshman year led him to attend a rehearsal, and he never looked back.

Dymond Mitchell graduated in May from the University of Mississippi as a Stamps Scholar, member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and worldwide traveler with a bachelor's degree in sociology and a minor in society and health. She also leaves a legacy robust with leadership and community action.

Wayne Weaver grew up in the Neshoba County town of Philadelphia playing video games such as Super Smash Brothers and Pokemon at area gaming shops and tournaments around central Mississippi. As he prepared to graduate in May at the University of Mississippi, he said that his younger self never would have imagined that he could represent Ole Miss in international tournaments against players from around the world.

Brian Harrington, who graduated from the University of Mississippi in May with a doctorate in counselor education, was the Mississippi Counseling Association's Outstanding New Counselor in 2022. He was nationally board-certified and, by every measure, exactly where he was supposed to be in his career. But he felt like there was more he needed to do. It was not the first time he felt this way. Harrington approached every job with the idea that people needed someone in their corner.

Playing basketball at the recreation center is just a pastime for most college students, but for Austin, Texas-native Max Smith, it was the outlet that fulfilled a lifelong dream. Smith, who graduated from the University of Mississippi in May with a master's degree in sport management, has always had a love for basketball. Coming out of high school, Smith had college offers to play basketball, but COVID limited his options, and none of the available programs felt right.

Maria Fernanda Argote de la Torre and two friends from the same high school in Mexico graduated from the University of Mississippi with engineering degrees and as Taylor medalists.

Paulina Eguibar Ortega and two friends from the same high school in Mexico graduated from the University of Mississippi with engineering degrees and as Taylor medalists.

Jose Andres Cepeda Santiago and two friends from the same high school in Mexico graduated from the University of Mississippi with engineering degrees and as Taylor medalists.

More than 3,800 students graduated from the University of Mississippi in May 2026. Undergraduate and graduate candidates received degrees from the College of Liberal Arts, General Studies and schools of Accountancy, Applied Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Journalism and New Media, Law and Pharmacy.

The University of Mississippi announced students named to the Spring 2026 Honor Roll lists, including Chancellor's Honor Roll.

As NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace crossed the finish line at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis, Griffen Hinkle did not celebrate like a fan. Instead, he locked in like a professional, camera in hand, capturing every second of the victory. The University of Mississippi integrated marketing communications graduate from Fairfield, Illinois, knew early on that sports content creation was a passion.

The University of Mississippi announced students named to the Spring 2026 Honor Roll lists, including Dean's Honor Roll.

Six years after joining the University of Mississippi as the first in her family to attend college, Victoria Amari has earned one of the nation's most competitive graduate research awards. Amari, a first-year doctoral student in biomedical engineering from Hayden, Alabama, has been awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

A University of Mississippi graduate is among the inaugural winners of the Lafayette Fellowship, a new scholarship created in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Amber Cecil, a 2025 engineering graduate from Hernando, will spend the next year studying at University Grenoble Alpes in France through the fellowship. The award will provide education, airfare and living expenses during her master's program alongside mentorship and training opportunities.

As of May, the smiling face that students see when they stop by the dean's office in the University of Mississippi School of Engineering is not just a staff member behind a desk; she is a fellow graduate. Debbie Shelby, the school's administrative secretary, joined in the university's 2026 Commencement ceremonies as she completed a lifelong goal of earning her college degree.

For Keiran Lencheski, sports have always been more than a game; they've been a lifelong passion that turned into purpose. That passion led Lencheski, a University of Mississippi journalism graduate who completed her degree in December 2025, to opportunities many young broadcasters only dream of, including working behind the scenes on NBC Sports' Olympic coverage.

Canaday Baker, of Madison, graduated from the University of Mississippi in May as a Taylor Medalist with a degree in special education. She will head into a classroom of her own, carrying a unique perspective. "I have a disability myself, and I have always loved helping people with disabilities," Baker said."

For Esraa Al Shawakri, the journey to Commencement has been defined not by a single decision, but by a series of shifts in perspective. What began as a practical decision shaped by family influence has evolved into a career defined by purpose, adaptability and scientific curiosity. Al Shawakri, a Ph.D. graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, focuses on pharmaceutics and drug delivery. It's an area she discovered not at the start of her journey, but along the way.

Kesler Smith, of Oxford, graduated with honors from the University of Mississippi in May, earning degrees in psychology and Southern studies. To Smith, both majors consider the same fundamental question: Why do people become who they are? Her coursework has ranged from cultural anthropology to a seminar on Bob Dylan, each sharpening her lens.

Emily Davis, of Benton, Louisiana, graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor's degree in exercise science in May. She will continue her education at LSU Health Sciences in Shreveport, Louisiana, pursuing a master's in occupational therapy, a goal she has held since seventh grade.