With humor, candor, and heartfelt stories of perseverance, famed broadcaster and former TODAY host Hoda Kotb encouraged Fordham’s Class of 2026 to embrace opportunity—even when they feel unprepared.
“If you’re not ready when opportunity knocks,” Kotb told graduates, “take the opportunity anyway.” In an address anchored by 10 life lessons, she encouraged the Class of 2026 to approach their future endeavors with moxie. (Watch her full address.)
“Believe in your ability to make it anywhere. You belong in every boardroom, every mountaintop, every C-suite,” Kotb said, before pausing to play the iconic “if you can make it here, you’ll make it anywhere” refrain from Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” holding her earbuds to the microphone.
Kotb spoke to a crowd of roughly 18,000, gathered under a bright spring sky on Edwards Parade to celebrate the graduates at Fordham’s 181st commencement ceremony on May 16. (See photos, video, and stories from the Class of 2026).
Students processed down the aisle as the Fordham University Symphony Orchestra played “Pomp and Circumstance,” some wearing colorful stoles representing their schools and affinity groups. Fordham conferred degrees upon 175 veterans and military-dependents at the ceremony, many of whom wore yellow ribbons.
Persisting Through Setbacks
Kotb, a bestselling author and CEO of Joy 101, encouraged graduates to learn from her story and remain steadfast in the face of setbacks. She reflected on the string of rejections that marked the beginning of her career, sharing how, after a wide-ranging road trip and many failed interviews, a small-town Mississippi news director gave her the job that changed her life.
“You don’t need everyone to love you,” Kotb said. “You just need one.”
She provoked waves of laughter from the crowd as she related the story of her first time anchoring the news desk at the local station, when she was chosen to fill in for a sick coworker simply because, serendipitously, she had come to work with a blazer. Kotb stumbled through the broadcast, even referring to herself by the wrong name, but it opened doors for her regardless.
Honoring Lives Shaped by Service
In recognition of her extraordinary career and her dedication to informing and uplifting the public, Kotb received an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the ceremony. The University also recognized two other distinguished honorary degree recipients for their contributions across media, literature, business, and public life.
Gerry Byrne ’66, an entrepreneur, trailblazing media executive, and advocate for military veterans received an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the ceremony. He encouraged graduates to carry Fordham’s values with them long after commencement.
“Integrity is a disappearing commodity in the environment that we’re living in,” said the former U.S. Marine Corps officer and decorated Vietnam War veteran. “You guys can shine by recognizing that.”
Maureen Corrigan, PhD, ’77, an NPR book critic, author, and professor at Georgetown University, received a doctorate of letters at the ceremony. She reflected on the Fordham professors who shaped her life and career, whose intellectual curiosity expanded her understanding of the world beyond her hometown of Sunnyside, Queens, and inspired her to share her own love of literature with others.
“I’m forever in their debt,” said Corrigan. “I expect that most of you here today have also had your lives transformed by Fordham.”
Joining the Global Jesuit Tradition
President Tania Tetlow, the University’s first woman president and its first lay leader, congratulated the Class of 2026 on their accomplishments and reflected on their special place in her heart.
“Four years ago, most of you were part of the very first class I welcomed as president, all of us nervous and excited together,” Tetlow said. “I dreamed about someday having this moment together, looking amazing in our caps and gowns.”
Tetlow spoke about what it means to be a Fordham graduate: to be endlessly curious, to question assumptions, and to prioritize not only knowledge but the compassion to put it to use for the greater good.
“Today all of you … join the ranks of the millions of Jesuit-educated around the world. I hope you will forever be proud of what that means and spend the rest of your life living up to it,” she said.
Fordham conferred bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees upon 3,613 May graduates, the second-largest graduating class in the University’s history. In total, Fordham is expected to confer 5,682 academic degrees in 2026, including students who graduated in August 2025 and February 2026 and those who are expected to graduate in August 2026. The graduates range in age from 20 to 72, and hail from 45 states and 103 countries.
