679 graduates receive degrees at Commencement May 9

 

679 graduates receive degrees at Commencement May 9

May 11, 2026 — 679 students received their degrees from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls during the spring Commencement ceremony Saturday at Page Arena in the Falcon Center. 589 students received bachelor’s degrees, 80 received master’s degrees, six received doctorate degrees and four received associate’s degrees. 

Spring Commencement was divided into three separate ceremonies, the first for graduates from the College of Education, Business and Allied Health (CEBAH) and Graduate Studies, the second for College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences graduates and the third for the College of Arts and Sciences.     

Kassie Riesgraf, an English education major from Eau Claire, was the student speaker for the CEBAH and Graduate Studies ceremony. She cautioned her fellow graduates about comparing themselves to others.

“A few years ago, I became familiar with the phrase, ‘comparison is the thief of all joy,’ and it has stuck with me ever since,” Reisgraf said. “Though comparison can be positive in certain forms, we have all experienced its negative powers in our life.”

Reisgraf assured the graduates they will not be alone as they move forward in life and will need the support of their families, friends, colleagues and community. 

“I congratulate you for the challenges you endured and the great accomplishment you have achieved, as well as the trials you will conquer once you leave here,” Reisgraf said. “You are awesomely and wonderfully made and no one can take that away from you, so don’t let it be you who tries.” 

Jennifer Ponczoch, a Stevens Point native and animal science major with a minor in chemistry, represented CAFES at the second ceremony.

“I want to start with a reflection from President John F. Kennedy that feels especially true today: ‘Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.,’” Ponczoch said. “The fact that you are sitting in these chairs today, draped in these robes, proves one thing: you didn't just try. You succeeded.”

Ponczoch said the trying would not end with graduation and there would be days ahead when the graduates would feel like first year students again as they faced new uncertainties.

“Do not let the fear of a new thing stop you,” Ponczoch said. “You have already proven that you can master the science, the grit and the community spirit that defines CAFES. So, let my final message to you be this: Never, ever, stop trying.”

Nolan Arechigo, a marketing communications and communication studies double major from St. Croix Falls, was the student speaker at the CAS ceremony.  

Arechigo said that as a first-generation college student, he arrived at UWRF feeling a lot of pressure to prove himself. He continued to worry about what came next until he found meaning his senior year working as a social media intern for Student Involvement. In that role, Arechigo spent many hours interviewing students for videos. 

“This job taught me about you, yes, all of you here, and what you mean to this university, the hard work and the humility,” Arechigo said. “For the first time in my life I would sit there for hours a day sometimes, beyond my shifts, talking to people, hearing their stories, these experiences. They gave me comfort, they gave me hope.” 

Arechigo said those conversations are the memories he will hold most dear from his time at UWRF and he encouraged the graduates to continue to make those connections with others.

“One, final homework assignment from UW-River Falls,” Arechigo said. “Please, tell your story.”

The Commencement ceremonies are available to watch on YouTube at students.uwrf.edu/commencement.

Photo: UW-River Falls graduate Laina Spiekermeier receives congratulations from Interim Chancellor John Chenoweth Saturday during Commencement in Page Arena at the Falcon Center. 679 graduates received undergraduate and graduate degrees across the day’s three ceremonies. UWRF photo.