Gettysburg College celebrated eight women’s lacrosse seniors at Special Commencement, honoring their transformational leadership, selfless teamwork, and lasting impact as they prepare to continue their NCAA championship journey.
Before heading off to Massachusetts for the next round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship, eight senior student-athletes were honored in a Special Commencement ceremony inside the College Union Building (CUB) Ballroom on Tuesday, May 12.
A tradition dating back 20 years, Special Commencement is a unique graduation event for student-athletes who may miss the main Commencement festivities due to NCAA playoff competition. This year’s event marked the 16th early graduation celebrated at Gettysburg since 2006.
“It’s special to have been part of this for four years,” said team captain Camryn Epstein ’26, a health sciences major from Medford, New Jersey. “We get to celebrate with the people who have been with us since the beginning. It’s just really meaningful and shows what our whole experience was like at Gettysburg.”
Joining Epstein on stage were Lauren Bloch ’26 from Westfield, New Jersey; Nora Crowther ’26 from Randolph, New Jersey; Julia Daly ’26 from McLean, Virginia; Sophia Liott ’26 from Ambler, Pennsylvania; Nina Marra ’26 from Ridgewood, New Jersey; Maddie Passarello ’26 from West Chester, Pennsylvania; and Dillon Troy ’26 from Mamaroneck, New York.
President Bob Iuliano, participating in his fifth consecutive Special Commencement, welcomed the graduates, family members, and teammates inside the newly renovated Ballroom. Iuliano was quick to note the unique opportunity Special Commencement affords those in attendance “to witness firsthand what has made your team so successful.”
“The way you celebrate one another,” he continued. “The way you uplift one another. The way you support and care for one another, as friends and as teammates.”
“A team is built by those who put others above themselves for the good of a shared goal.”
– President Bob Luliano
A native Bostonian, Iuliano relayed the plight of his hometown baseball team, the Boston Red Sox, and the decades of consternation surrounding their quest for a championship. Facing insurmountable odds in the 2004 American League Championship Series, a spark provided by pinch runner Dave Roberts helped propel the Sox to a come-from-behind series win against the rival New York Yankees and eventually, the club’s first World Series title in 86 years.
Iuliano pointed out the necessity of teams having selfless, committed players, what he called “glue guys,” who aren’t concerned with glory and records. They work for the betterment of the group.
“I share that story because, in many ways, our world needs more ‘glue guys’—more teammates who make everyone around them better,” Iuliano said. “A team is built by those who put others above themselves for the good of a shared goal."
Speaking on behalf of the faculty, Spanish Prof. Radost Rangelova applauded the graduates’ work on and off the field and the contributions they have made to the liberal arts. Those contributions may end as undergraduates at Gettysburg, but the opportunity to share the knowledge and skills they have gained during their four years remains ahead.
“This is a beautiful celebration, but do not take it as a conclusion,” Rangelova said. “Commencement is the final point of one thing and the beginning of another. What I want to urge you to do today is to take the next step, and to make it intentionally and earnestly meaningful.”
“One day, you will turn back and look in wonder at how much you have grown and at how purposefully and resolutely you have made a difference.”
– Spanish Prof. Radost Rangelova
From national championship game appearances and program records to academic honors and graduate schools, the women’s lacrosse seniors leave a legacy of success and a list of standards for future generations of Gettysburgians to aspire to. Moreover, their experiences at Gettysburg have prepared them for their lives after graduation.
“Make the accomplishments that you celebrate today a stepping stone toward larger and meaningful objectives,” Rangelova said. “And I promise you that, one day, you will turn back and look in wonder at how much you have grown and at how purposefully and resolutely you have made a difference.”
Before recessing to Pennsylvania Hall to make the journey up the south stairway and through the doors on the north portico—mirroring the same trek they made as first-years four years ago—Iuliano had one final charge for the new graduates as they step out into the world: be all in.
“Dedicate yourself to being a great teammate—a ‘glue guy’—in every facet of your life,” Iuliano said. “Challenge yourself to take what you’ve learned here and apply it to something bigger than yourself, always in service to those who need you. Give fully of yourself to your relationships, to your careers, and to the causes that have been in search of your talents and drive.”
The women’s lacrosse team will travel to Medford, Massachusetts, to meet No. 4 Tufts University on Saturday, May 16, at 10:30 a.m., in the third round of the NCAA Division III Championship. The winner will meet either Williams College or Colorado College on Sunday, May 17, with a trip to the national semifinals on the line.
Join us for the Class of 2026 Commencement ceremony on May 16, 2026.
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By Corey Jewart
Photos by Tyler Caruso
Posted: 05/13/26