PHOTOS: Friday, May 1 | Saturday, May 2
Florida State University celebrated its Spring 2026 graduating class Friday and Saturday, awarding more than 8,900 degrees and honoring alumna Sara Blakely with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
FSU President Richard McCullough presided over the ceremonies at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, where about 7,190 graduates participated in person and heard messages of resilience, leadership and service.
The ceremonies featured three speakers whose careers span business, military service and government: entrepreneur Blakely, Lt. Gen. Sean M. Farrell and Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez.
The ceremonies began Friday morning with doctoral hoodings, recognizing the university’s newest Ph.D. and doctoral graduates.
“As the new torchbearers of our great university, I urge you all to embrace your esteemed role as highly respected scholars and leaders,” McCullough told the doctoral graduates. “You are actively shaping the future of industries, academia, the arts and scholarly achievements in society. As you embark on new academic and professional pursuits, I encourage you to continue to embody the three values of Florida State: Vires, Artes and Mores, or strength, skill and character.”
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jim Clark continued: “All of us charged with the care of this great university urge you, graduates, to take on this stewardship with pride, joy, gravitas and celebration.”
Blakely received the honorary degree during the Friday evening ceremony — the first awarded during McCullough’s presidency — in a moment that highlighted both her impact and her ties to the university.
Clark introduced Blakely, noting her rise from Florida State graduate to global entrepreneur, before McCullough returned to confer the degree.
“Today, we welcome home one of our own,” McCullough said, recognizing Blakely as an innovator, philanthropist and a champion of possibility and introducing her for the first time as “Dr. Sara Blakely.”
Blakely, who earned her bachelor’s degree in communication studies from FSU in 1993, addressed graduates at two ceremonies during the weekend.
She launched Spanx in 2000 with $5,000 and built it into a global brand that reshaped the shapewear industry. Named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and recognized by Forbes as the youngest self-made female billionaire, she later started Sneex, a footwear brand designed to combine the comfort of a sneaker with the style of a heel. She will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame next week.
A longtime advocate for women’s empowerment, Blakely has donated millions through her Red Backpack Foundation, signed The Giving Pledge, and supports scholarships and invention education programs for thousands of girls.
When she addressed graduates, Blakely focused less on success and more on the mindset that made it possible.
“The most critical thing that I did — the thing that everyone here can do — is I made one big investment early on,” she said. “I invested in me.”
She encouraged graduates to be intentional about how they spend their time and attention as they move into the next phase of their lives.
“You can distract yourself, or you can discover yourself,” she said.
That focus on resilience and self-direction carried across the weekend’s speakers.
Farrell, deputy commanding general of U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, spoke at two ceremonies during the weekend.
Introducing him, McCullough pointed to a career defined by leadership in complex and high-stakes environments.
“His career reflects a deep commitment to service and leadership and the responsibility of leading in moments that truly matter,” McCullough said.
An FSU graduate commissioned through ROTC, Farrell is a command pilot with more than 3,500 flight hours in aircraft including the AC-130 and C-130. He has commanded at the wing, group and squadron levels and has held senior leadership roles across U.S. Special Operations Command and the Pentagon, overseeing strategy, resources and global operations.
Farrell urged graduates to trust the habits of mind they built at Florida State and to carry them forward with purpose.
“Your academic experience has trained you to observe carefully, to question assumptions, to weigh evidence, to think critically,” he said. “These are not just classroom skills. They are life skills.”
Farrell also encouraged graduates to define success on their own terms, commit to lifelong learning and build resilience through both success and failure.
“Think critically. Seek purpose. Commit to lifelong learning, and become a master,” he said. “If you do these things, you will not only find success, you will find satisfaction, meaning and a life well-lived.”
Perez, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and an FSU alumnus, delivered the address at the ceremony Saturday evening.
“Speaker Perez’s leadership reflects a deep commitment to service and the people he represents,” McCullough said in his introduction.
An attorney and first-generation Cuban American, Perez earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida State in 2009 and a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans. First elected to the Florida House in 2017, he represents a Miami-Dade County district and has chaired several key committees, including Rules, Judiciary and Public Integrity and Elections.
At 17, Perez arrived at FSU from Miami sight unseen. From that moment, he said he knew this was the place where he belonged.
“This university helped me begin to understand who I was, what I cared about and what kind of life I wanted to build,” he said.
Reflecting on his experience at FSU, Perez told graduates they’re leaving with much more than just a diploma.
“You’re leaving with tools — knowledge you have acquired, a network you have cultivated, friendships you will carry with you and a character that has been tested and forged. What you do with those tools and with those opportunities is now entirely in your hands,” he said.
Perez also reminded graduates that they cannot do it alone.
“It is the people we surround ourselves with that make our time on the planet worth it,” he said.
The ceremonies took place during Florida State’s 175th anniversary year, as the university reflects upon its history and looks ahead.
Student speakers also reflected on the meaning of the moment and the transition ahead.
“As you walk into whatever comes next … you don’t need to have it all figured out right now,” Student Body Vice President Natalia Ramirez-Romero told graduates on Friday. “That in-between feeling … it’s not a sign that you’re lost. It’s a sign that you’re growing.”
FSU Trustee and Student Body President Carson Dale graduated Saturday and also addressed his fellow students.
“During your time at Florida State, you didn’t just go to school. You lived a life here,” Dale said. “Because of your involvement, time and effort, FSU is not the same place it was when you arrived, and neither are you.”
Incoming Student Body President Ian Seibert spoke at the 2 p.m. Saturday ceremony.
“We’re amid a very promising time here at FSU, and our momentum is not going unnoticed,” Seibert said. “We’re making waves around the country in many industries: health, business, science, engineering, research, innovation, music and more. I’m confident that you will carry that momentum to wherever you end up next. There is no better time to be a graduate of this preeminent university.”
The ceremony included participation from members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida Color Guard, reflecting FSU’s longstanding partnership with the Tribe.
Graduates included 6,732 bachelor’s recipients, along with students earning 1,523 master’s and specialist degrees, 261 doctoral degrees and law degrees across a wide range of disciplines.
As the ceremonies concluded, McCullough reminded graduates of their place in the university’s broader community.
“With more than 420,000 living alumni, no matter where you go, chances are you won’t be far from a fellow FSU graduate,” he said.
The College of Law will hold its Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 3, at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, with a reception to follow on the Green at the College of Law.
FSU Panama City will host its spring commencement ceremony at 5 p.m. (CST) Sunday, May 3, at the Atlantis Center in Lynn Haven, welcoming all Panama City campus graduates, as well as those who completed degrees in the previous summer and fall semesters. Former state Sen. Doug Broxson, who serves on the Florida Board of Governors, will deliver the commencement address.
To view the commencement webcasts, visit commencement.fsu.edu.