At UB’s 116th Commencement ceremonies on May 2, 2026, two graduates were selected to represent the Class of 2026 through student addresses to their classes: undergraduate speaker Ananda Lailah Lindsey and graduate speaker Sebastian Alix-Trabucco.
Their speeches captured the shared feelings of the day. Read on to learn more about each speech and the messages of resilience, belonging, and courage they shared with their fellow graduates.
Ananda Lailah Lindsey: “We didn’t just survive college. We evolved through it.”
Ananda Lailah Lindsey represented the undergraduate Class of 2026, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and a minor in Pre-Medicine.
During her time at UB, Lindsey was a highly engaged campus leader, serving as president of the Beta Iota Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., president of Future Leaders of Hip Hop, and president of the Student Programming Board. She also served on executive boards across campus.
In her Commencement address, Lindsey spoke candidly about the reality behind the highlight reel of college life. She arrived at UB as a Pre-Nursing major with a plan she had been carrying since sixth grade, and then, as she put it, college humbled her. She switched her major to Health Science. Around the same time, her great-grandmother became ill and passed away at the start of the spring semester.
“Grief doesn’t check your syllabus,” she told her classmates. “It doesn’t care about your GPA. It definitely doesn’t pause because you have a practical lab the very next day.”
She honored the full experience that followed: the late nights, the changed majors, the retaken exams, the heartbreaks, the mental health struggles, and the moments of doubt — and the people who helped make it possible.
“College is not just about the highs,” she said. “For every accomplishment, there was exhaustion. For every leadership title, there were tears. For every ‘you’re doing amazing,’ there was a quiet moment of ‘I don’t know if I can keep doing this.’”
“We didn’t just survive college,” she said. “We evolved through it.”
She closed by encouraging her classmates never to sell themselves short, never stop striving, and never stop reaching beyond the stars.
“Everything you prayed for might already be within your reach,” she said.
View the undergraduate student commencement speech:
Sebastian Alix-Trabucco: “The future belongs to bridge-builders.”
Sebastian Alix-Trabucco represented the graduate Class of 2026, earning his master’s of Business Administration (MBA) in Management and Marketing.
Alix-Trabucco also serves as UB’s digital marketing coordinator and social media coordinator, helping tell the University’s story through campaigns and social media content that reach students, alumni, and prospective students.
In his Commencement address, he centered his message on the power of lifelong learning and the courage to bet on yourself — a theme that carried personal weight. His undergraduate graduation in 2020 was canceled. When he crossed the stage at UB this May, it was, in his words, his second attempt. He wasn’t taking any chances.
“Today is more than a ceremony,” he said. “It’s a moment of proof that we showed up, we held on, and we dared to learn.”
Alix-Trabucco reflected on the many paths represented in the graduating class: first-generation graduates, working adults, students balancing multiple jobs, and parents studying after putting their children to bed. He thanked the families, partners, and spouses who made it possible — including his own husband — and acknowledged that none of them got there alone.
He connected these shared experiences to his own college journey, which began in 2016 with a double major in environmental science and political science. Those disciplines shaped his thoughts about systems and access. About why some communities have opportunity while others don’t. His MBA from UB now gives him a way to bring those ideas into action.
“Each discipline gave me language,” Alix-Trabucco said. “But together, they gave me direction.”
He challenged his fellow classmates to see this moment not as a finish line. Instead, to see it as a foundation that builds their capacity to ask better questions, listen before reacting, and navigate complexity in their lives and careers.
“The future doesn’t belong to specialists who stay in silos,” he said. “It belongs to bridge-builders.”
He closed by encouraging his classmates to keep daring to learn, daring to ask questions, daring to change their minds, and daring to remember that they belong.
View the graduate student commencement speech:
Celebrating the Class of 2026
Together, Lindsey and Alix-Trabucco gave voice to the graduating classes. They came from different backgrounds, and their speeches came from different places, but they shared one idea: the path to graduation is rarely simple, and that is exactly what makes the moment worth celebrating.
With over 14 years of experience in writing and communications, Abby Levandoski is a seasoned storyteller specializing in highlighting stories that build community. As the assistant director of communications and content strategy for University of Bridgeport, Abby produces compelling narratives highlighting academic programs, research initiatives, and student success. Her work has earned positive media coverage across print, digital, and TV platforms. Abby holds a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in political science, bringing a strategic and creative approach to her role in higher education marketing and communications.