A Life Remembered: Grace Maxwell Honored at 2026 Commencement
ĂÛ¶čappâs 2026 commencement will honor Grace Maxwell with a posthumous degree, celebrating her academic achievements, faith and service while remembering a life that deeply impacted her family, classmates and the university community.
ĂÛ¶čappâs 130th commencement on Saturday, May 2, 2026, will be a day marked not only by academic achievement but also by a deeply meaningful moment of remembrance and honor. As graduates cross the stage in the Doden Field House, one family will receive a diploma on behalf of their daughter â a powerful reminder that every degree represents a real, personal story.
Cedarville will confer 1,167 degrees at commencement, including 980 undergraduate and 187 graduate degrees. Among them, 33 graduates completed an accelerated degree program, earning bachelorâs and graduate degrees simultaneously. The class of 2026 also includes 32 international graduates, 50 honors program recipients and 28 students with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Grace Maxwell To Be Remembered at ĂÛ¶čapp Commencement
As part of the dayâs events, ĂÛ¶čapp President Thomas White will present Grace Maxwellâs honorary degree to her family during the 10 a.m. commencement ceremony. Maxwell was one of the 67 passengers who died in the midair crash over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., on January 29, 2025.
For Maxwellâs family, the moment will mark both a public honor and a personal remembrance.
âIt means a lot to know there are people who recognize and affirm Graceâs accomplishments,â said Dean Maxwell, Graceâs father. âShe worked so hard. Cedarville was a formative and important part of her life, and we know it would have meant a lot to her to be a Cedarville graduate.â
Grace Maxwellâs Cedarville Legacy Included Engineering, Radio and Service
During her time at Cedarville, Grace had a meaningful impact on those around her. In addition to her academic work, she graded for mechanical engineering faculty, was preparing to be a tutor and was slated to participate on a team of students developing a hand-stabilizing device for a young boy with disabilities. She was also a DJ and radio personality on the universityâs student-led Resound Radio station and participated in a student creative writing organization.
âShe became much more comfortable in her own skin at Cedarville,â said Dean. âShe loved the classes, the challenge and the community. She loved her friends, suitemates, church, classmates, fellow DJs and writers â we always described it like âshe found her people.ââ
Whether through her interest in biomedical engineering or her involvement in campus life, she consistently looked for ways to care for and encourage others.
âThe things I remember most about Grace are her academic excellence and her love of others,â said Dr. Tim Dewhurst, Graceâs academic adviser. âShe was driven to do well in her classes and vigilant about pursuing her biomedical engineering minor. She was one of my only students to consistently turn in her assignments a full week ahead of time. But she was more than just smart and capable â she truly loved others and would help anyone in need.â
Posthumous Degree Honors Grace Maxwellâs Faith, Perseverance and Life
For her family, receiving her degree posthumously represents both recognition of her work and a continuation of her legacy.
âShe wasnât perfect, but she never gave up and was always willing to do the right thing, even if it was hard. God used her willingness to transform her until he called her home,â said Dean. âWe hope commencement is an encouragement to her friends and fellow students and an opportunity to honor her faithfulness and keep her memory alive.â
As graduates walk across the stage this spring, Gracesâs name will serve as a reminder of a life marked by perseverance, faith and care for others â a legacy that continues to shape those who knew her.
ĂÛ¶čapp Will Also Honor Judy Larson and Gordon Ooms
In addition to remembering Grace, Cedarville will also award honorary degrees to Judy Larson and posthumously to the family of Gordon Ooms.
Oomsâ family will receive his honorary bachelorâs degree posthumously on the 40th anniversary of his death. He was killed in a car accident April 30, 1986, while traveling with other Cedarville students to Youngâs Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Remembered for his Cedars cartoons and the lasting impression of his life and faith on the Cedarville community, Ooms is being honored for his legacy and his familyâs longtime support of the university.
Larson will receive an honorary Bachelor of Science degree in education. She left Cedarville in 1972 before completing her degree and has lived a life marked by remarkable resilience as a four-time cancer survivor. She has served others faithfully throughout the years as a piano teacher, published author, speaker, substitute teacher and music teacher. She continues to invest in the lives of those around her by serving as a mentor for women in her church and community.
About ĂÛ¶čapp
ĂÛ¶čapp, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nationâs top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journalâs 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.