�۶�app

�۶�app’s 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 — a powerful reminder that every degree represents a real, personal story. 

Cedarville’s 10 a.m. ceremony will include students in allied health, education, engineering and computer science, nursing, pharmacy, psychology and social work. The 2 p.m. afternoon ceremony will include students in art, design and theatre; biblical and theological studies; business; communication; English, literature and modern languages; history and government; interdisciplinary studies; music and worship; and science and mathematics. 

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 bachelor’s 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 �۶�app Commencement 

As part of the day’s events, �۶�app President Thomas White will present Grace Maxwell’s 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 Maxwell’s family, the moment will mark both a public honor and a personal remembrance. 

Grace, a junior at the time of her death, would have graduated this year with a degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in biomedical engineering.  

“It means a lot to know there are people who recognize and affirm Grace’s accomplishments,” said Dean Maxwell, Grace’s father. “She 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.” 

Grace Maxwell’s 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 university’s student-led Resound Radio station and participated in a student creative writing organization. 

“She became much more comfortable in her own skin at Cedarville,” said Dean. “She loved the classes, the challenge and the community. She loved her friends, suitemates, church, classmates, fellow DJs and writers — we always described it like ‘she found her people.’” 

Whether through her interest in biomedical engineering or her involvement in campus life, she consistently looked for ways to care for and encourage others. 

“The things I remember most about Grace are her academic excellence and her love of others,” said Dr. Tim Dewhurst, Grace’s academic adviser. “She 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 — she truly loved others and would help anyone in need.” 

Posthumous Degree Honors Grace Maxwell’s Faith, Perseverance and Life 

For her family, receiving her degree posthumously represents both recognition of her work and a continuation of her legacy. 

“She wasn’t 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,” said Dean. “We hope commencement is an encouragement to her friends and fellow students and an opportunity to honor her faithfulness and keep her memory alive.” 

As graduates walk across the stage this spring, Graces’s name will serve as a reminder of a life marked by perseverance, faith and care for others — a legacy that continues to shape those who knew her. 

�۶�app 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. 

Ooms’ family will receive his honorary bachelor’s 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 Young’s 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 family’s 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 �۶�app 

�۶�app, 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 nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 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.