The night before freshman orientation at George Mason University, 17-year-old Saniya Dilip Darediya sat in her room and cried.
Having just arrived in the U.S. from India, she recalled, “I was scared and afraid I might not belong here.”
Her experiences in the weeks and years that followed gave Darediya a sense of security and of belonging. Yesterday morning (Thursday), she received a bachelor of science degree in neuroscience, one of 12,104 Mason students graduating with degrees and certificates this spring.
“Everyone here carries their own version of difference,” said Darediya, selected to deliver an address at the commencement ceremony. “Differences were not separating us, they were connecting us — different paths, but the same determination.”
Mason’s latest crop of graduates included students from 49 states and 105 countries. Many came to Mason after earning degrees at Northern Virginia Community College, while others served in the military or were military dependents. About one in four were the first in their families to earn a four-year degree.
Mason “is the bridge between talent and opportunity for so many,” GMU President Gregory Washington said at the commencement, held at EagleBank Arena.
Washington acknowledged that many new graduates will encounter headwinds.
“You’re graduating into a tough economy,” he said. “Headlines feel heavy. The world feels complicated, sometimes chaotic. Many of you will need patience and persistence as you find your footing in the workplace.”
His advice came in three words: “Don’t sweat that.”
“You are conditioned to think you are climbing a ladder, but really, you are hiking a trail,” Washington said. “The switchbacks, the detours that seem like setbacks are just a part of the journey, and they can lead you to unexpected places.”
Among those joining graduates on their big day was retired U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff David Allvin.
Gen. Allvin noted he was marking the 40th anniversary of his own graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. The speaker that day was then-U.S. Vice President George H.W. Bush.
“I have no idea what he said, but I remember that day — that emotion, that sense of collective accomplishment, of individual accomplishment,” Allvin said.
But getting through a military academy proved a test of his endurance, he admitted.
“I almost didn’t make it,” Allvin said, recalling that the then-commandant of the U.S. Air Force Academy wrote to his parents, preparing them for the likelihood he might never become an Air Force officer.
He read that letter to the audience during the ceremony marking his retirement as a four-star general. Allvin said it got a laugh, but also served as a reminder that, while setbacks are inevitable, how one chooses to deal with them is what counts.
When it comes to falling short, Allvin echoed Washington’s “Don’t sweat it” remarks from earlier in the program.
“Take the lessons from them, set them aside and move on,” he said. “The world needs you … you are ready.”
Alvin, who held the top Air Force staff position from 2023 to 2025, also advised the Class of 2026 graduates to avoid complacency and the temptation to pigeonhole others.
“Being judgmental? That’s the ultimate act of laziness,” he said. “Curiosity is the engine of growth.”
Among those earning degrees on May 14 was Rakibul Alam, who was named 2026 Senior of the Year by the university’s alumni association.
Like Darediya, Alam arrived at Mason with trepidation. Commuting to the Fairfax campus from his home in Centreville, he feared he would not fit in.
“I remember thinking, I need to get involved if I want to have the best George Mason experience,” Alam said in a profile released by the university.
He joined the student government, became active in a student organization — the Mason Consulting Group — and helped co-found the Collective Organization of South Asia.
His contacts at the university led Alam to an internship at the accounting firm KPMG. Now, with a bachelor’s degree in business, he is joining the firm full-time.
Beyond the main commencement ceremony, Mason has been hosting degree celebrations for its individual schools and programs throughout the week.
Commencement season in the local area continues next week, with Northern Virginia Community College holding its ceremony at EagleBank Arena on Monday, May 18.
