Commencement set for May 9

three students wearing black caps and gowns and various red and white cords pose in front of a backdrop that has the Nike logo and Falcon heads across it.

 

Commencement set for May 9 

April 27, 2026 — 679 students will receive their degrees from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls during three spring Commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 9. All three ceremonies will be held at Page Arena inside the Falcon Center, 185 Emogene Nelson Ave.  

589 students will receive bachelor’s degrees, 80 will receive master’s degrees, six will receive doctorate degrees and four will receive associate’s degrees.  

Spring Commencement is divided into three separate ceremonies:  

  • 9 a.m. – College of Education, Business and Allied Health (CEBAH); Graduate Studies  
  • 12:30 p.m. – College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES)  
  • 3 p.m. – College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)  

Each ceremony will feature a student speaker representing their college. Kassie Riesgraf will speak at the 9 a.m. ceremony, Jennifer Ponczoch will represent CAFES at the 12:30 p.m. ceremony, while Nolan Arechigo will be the student speaker at the CAS ceremony at 3 p.m.  

Riesgraf, an English education major from Eau Claire, says her desire to teach stems from her love for people, especially the younger generation. During her time at UWRF, Riesgraf has been heavily involved in campus activities, including working as a resident assistant in Grimm Hall, serving as the president of The Navigators campus ministry and being a member of the Chancellor’s Student Ambassadors.  

Ponczoch, a Stevens Point native and animal science major with a minor in chemistry, has a passion for veterinary medicine. During her time on campus, she was deeply involved in the community, serving as an officer in the Pre-Vet Club, a resident assistant and as a member of Falcon FETCH, an on-campus assistance dog training program.  

Arechigo, a marketing communications and communication studies double major from St. Croix Falls, has been active in music at UWRF, playing sousaphone with the Marching Falcons and tuba with the pit orchestra for musical theater productions. Arechigo also showcased his content creation skills as a social media intern for the Student Involvement team. 

All three ceremonies will be available via YouTube livestream. The livestream and additional Commencement information can be found at students.uwrf.edu/commencement.    

Photo: UW-River Falls students celebrate graduation after Commencement in December 2025. This year’s spring ceremonies are set for Saturday, May 9. UWRF file photo.