Graduation marks an ending, but it also marks the beginning of something harder to define: the rest of your life. To help the Class of 2026 navigate what comes next, we reached out to alumni across generations and industries for their best advice. From a 1968 graduate still championing cura personalis to a 2025 Peace Corps volunteer just a few steps ahead on the path, one theme shone through: Trust yourself.
Here’s what your fellow Rams want you to know as you leave campus behind—well, for a little while, at least, until it’s time for the Class of 2026 to celebrate Jubilee and Block Party.
Sandra Lovstad ’22 MS
CEO, Hippo Vending
Your degree has given you a strong foundation, but your real education begins now. The workplace will challenge you in ways no classroom can. You’ll face uncertainty, rejection, and moments where you question your path. That’s not failure; that’s growth in real time.
Terrence Quinn ’68
Professor, CUNY
Cura personalis is a welcome tool to guide you through your career and life itself. It will make you a more well-rounded, happier, and well-adjusted person. Spread the word!
Veronica Pou ’20 MSW, ’25 MSE
Social Worker, NYC Public Schools
Graduation isn’t an ending; it’s the start of making decisions that are fully yours. In your career, focus less on titles and more on purpose. Choose spaces where you are respected, growing, and making an impact. You won’t have everything figured out—and that’s okay. Growth isn’t linear. Protect your peace as much as your goals. … Most importantly, know that you belong in every room you walk into. You earned that. Stay confident, stay humble, and keep going.
Kathleen Brady ’83
Career Coach, Latham and Watkins LLP
Resist the urge to allow others to define you. Instead, pay attention to the quiet ways the Lord nudges you to use the gifts He has given you in service of others. Use them with agency, courage, and humility in pursuit of your definition of success.
Aaron Boyd ’25
Education Volunteer, Peace Corps – Mexico
Trust yourself. If things do not go your way immediately after graduating, be patient. Do not agree to do something that you do not want to do just because you think it is better than nothing. Fordham taught you skills and expertise that make you valuable in the professional world. Trust those skills and expertise, and trust that the right opportunity will come because of them.
Kelli Singh ’11
Founder and CEO, Kelli Youngman Singh
I wish I knew sooner that I could really be who I wanted to be in the world. That it was not only safe but highly responsible to believe in myself and the fullness of my dreams. The minute you decide who you are, the Universe can respond with accuracy. Choose to love yourself and keep expanding what feels possible for you— because it’s already yours. Congratulations! The better it gets, the better it gets✨
