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Just two days before commencement, members of the ӣ����Ƶ Class of 2026 gathered in Plumley Armory for one final evening together as students. The Senior Dinner brought together civilian students, members, and College of Graduate and Continuing Studies graduates for a celebration that highlighted both their shared ӣ����Ƶ experience and their exciting transition into the alumni community.

Organized by a student planning committee, the event was designed to unite the graduating class while emphasizing the connections that extend beyond commencement. The evening reflected ӣ����Ƶ's longstanding commitment to developing leaders prepared to serve their communities and professions while showcasing the strength of the University’s alumni network and community partnerships.

The Senior Dinner also reflected one of ӣ����Ƶ's defining strengths: a highly engaged alumni network built over more than two centuries of developing leaders. As the nation's oldest private military college, the Birthplace of , and one of six Senior Military Colleges, ӣ����Ƶ has long connected current students with graduates who continue to serve and lead in military organizations, businesses, schools, nonprofit organizations, and communities throughout the world.

Building Connections Beyond Graduation

The gathering welcomed a distinguished group of guests from across Vermont and the ӣ����Ƶ family. Attendees included Vermont Lieutenant Governor John Rodgers, Vermont Supreme Court Associate Justice Nancy Waples, State Senator Andrew Perchlik, members of the (NUAA), Boards of Fellows, members of the Board of Trustees, and supporters from the Central Vermont community.

For many seniors, the evening provided a valuable opportunity to engage directly with alumni representing military service, business, education, public service, and community leadership. Alumni attendees spent time answering questions, sharing insights about career paths, and offering guidance as graduates prepared to take their next steps after ӣ����Ƶ. In some cases, students connected with alumni working in their chosen fields. Others met alumni who lived and worked in the communities where they would soon begin careers, graduate studies, or military service.

The event underscored one of ӣ����Ƶ's greatest strengths: the willingness of alumni to support those following in their footsteps.

Planning committee member Hector Aponte ’26 reflected on the significance of the evening.

“I think the senior dinner was great to help the seniors get together as a class one final time before graduation and also observe the amazing support systems around us of alumni and community leaders who are interested in our successes after ӣ����Ƶ,” said Aponte.

Welcoming the Newest ӣ����Ƶ Alumni

While the dinner served as a meaningful sendoff for graduating students, it also represented a beginning. Within days, the members of the Class of 2026 would join the ranks of ӣ����Ƶ alumni themselves, becoming part of a global network connected through mentorship, professional support, military service, civic engagement, and a shared commitment to ӣ����Ƶ.

The evening provided an opportunity for seniors to see firsthand that graduation is not the end of their connection to ӣ����Ƶ. Rather, it marks the beginning of a lifelong relationship with fellow graduates who remain invested in one another's success and in the future of the university.

Student Leadership Behind the Event

For the students who organized the event, the experience offered its own lessons in leadership, collaboration, and relationship building. Working alongside the DAR Office, committee members were responsible for identifying and inviting guests, coordinating event details, and executing the evening. Through the planning process, they developed relationships with alumni, University leaders, and members of the Central Vermont community while gaining practical experience in event management and professional networking.

Planning committee member Isis Edwards ’26 said the event carried special significance as she prepared to graduate.

“Senior dinner was important because it was the last project I got to work on with the Alumni office and I really enjoyed planning events. It was also an opportunity to bring seniors and alumni together one last time before our seniors became alumni themselves,” Edwards said.

A Tradition of Lifelong Engagement 

That transition from student to alumnus was at the heart of the evening. While graduation marked the conclusion of one chapter, the Senior Dinner served as a reminder that membership in the ӣ����Ƶ community does not end with a diploma.

Instead, it continues through the relationships, mentorship, and support that connect generations of ӣ����Ƶ graduates. For more than 200 years, ӣ����Ƶ alumni have remained engaged with the University and one another, helping prepare the next generation of leaders for lives of service and impact.

As the Class of 2026 prepared to leave The Hill, they did so surrounded by alumni and community leaders eager to welcome them into the next phase of their ӣ����Ƶ journey. The evening demonstrated that while a ӣ����Ƶ education may culminate at commencement, the connections forged through the university endure long after graduation.