The Saint Peter’s University community was proud to welcome Ruqya Elouarraq as the Valedictorian of the Class of 2026.
A graduate of Jose Marti STEM Academy, Ruqya has distinguished herself as an exceptional scholar and leader, embodying the Jesuit values of academic excellence, service, and care for others throughout her time at Saint Peter’s. She represents the very best of Saint Peter’s University, combining intellectual rigor, clinical excellence, and a deep commitment to serving others. As part of the 2026 Commencement Events, Ruqya delivered a speech at the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony.
Please join us in congratulating Ruqya on this extraordinary achievement. The full text of her 2026 commencement speech is below.
Good morning President Benitez, Board of Trustees, members of the administration, faculty and staff, parents and families, and the Saint Peter’s University Class of 2026. There’s something many of us probably heard from our teachers in high school and that is “Oh, that won’t fly in college.” You wouldn’t be able to ask for an extension. You certainly couldn’t email a professor at the last minute because that was so unprofessional. And you absolutely would not be able to ask for a little bit of extra help. We were told: “You’ll be an adult and you just have to figure it out.” And because of that, college was always painted as this “hunger games” experience. Stricter. Less forgiving. Dark. And significantly more distant.
But standing here today — four years later — I think I can confidently say, they couldn’t be more wrong. Because at Saint Peter’s University, a lot of those things did “fly” —- not because college was unserious or because expectations were lower, but because something else was higher, care. Care from our professors who didn’t just know our names but also knew our personalities, goals, and even our failures. Care from our advisors (thank you, Lauren and Dr. Wifall) and coaches who constantly checked in. Care from faculty (Dr. Twersky and Dr. Wynder), in counseling services, the honors program, the ministry, the library and the STEM center who worked overtime to make sure we felt supported. And even care from the employees at Pete’s Place or the security guards who, at some point, stopped feeling like staff and started feeling like our friends. And that’s what made our experience different — those small, everyday moments we all quietly shared. It’s in Starbucks during the common hour, where the line was always way too long. It’s in the library, where we told ourselves we were being productive—even if we spent half the time talking—and somehow, the elevator was always broken? — I did appreciate the extra steps on the Apple Watch though. It’s in the days when the bridge was closed, and we had to cross Kennedy Boulevard together, hoping we didn’t get hit by a car. It’s in the way that whenever anyone from another school brought up college basketball we had to mention Saint Peter’s Cinderella story to the Elite Eight.
It’s in the countless trips to Prince Pizza and in the countless SGA emails that always found themselves in our inbox. And yes—even Rankin Hall. The place we all dreaded walking to (especially this winter)… but somehow, those walks became part of our shared experience too. You see, no matter where you went to high school or what major you were, we all shared one identity for the last four years. And together, in a world plagued by prejudice and polarization, we unknowingly created something powerful — a community. And wherever we go—whether into hospitals, classrooms, businesses, or beyond—we carry with us the lessons this community taught us: to care, to support, and to show up for others. So maybe high school was right about one thing—college was different, Saint Peter’s was different. But not in the way we expected. It taught us that we are more similar than we think. Because even if we didn’t know each other’s names, there was always something familiar about one another. And as we move forward into the next chapters of our lives, that familiarity will matter more than we realize. We are and we will always be Peacocks.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026! Thank you.