May 12, 2026
President Robert W. Iuliano
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Greetings and Opening Address
Welcome families, friends, colleagues, and guests—and especially, the senior members of our women’s lacrosse team.
This weekend, the team traveled to my old stomping grounds in Cambridge and earned two hard-fought victories in the early rounds of the NCAA tournament. It was thrilling to see!
Please join me in congratulating these incredible student-athletes for what they’ve accomplished in the classroom and on the field, but more importantly, for the character they display in representing themselves, their team, and our College every day.
Today, we are here to honor the 8 students who are graduating from Gettysburg College.
I would like to begin our ceremony by celebrating each and every one of the seniors in this graduating class. As I call your name, please stand and give us a wave, so we can recognize you.
Families and friends, I want the rest of campus to hear you, just as we hear you from the stands on game day!
Here we go: Lauren Bloch, Nora Crowther, Julia Daly, Camryn Epstein, Sophia Liott, Nina Marra, Maddie Passarello, and Dillon Troy.
Let’s hear it for our Class of 2026 graduates!
They, of course, are led by one outstanding head coach, two talented assistant coaches, and a team of dedicated athletic trainers and equipment managers by their side.
Will you please join me in giving them a big round of applause as well for all they do for our student-athletes? Thank you!
Special Commencement is always one of my favorite traditions of the year, not only because it gives us the opportunity to celebrate all that you have accomplished during your time on campus, but perhaps even more so, because it gives those in attendance the opportunity to witness firsthand what has made your teams so successful.
The way you celebrate one another.
The way you uplift one another.
The way you support and care for one another, as friends and as teammates.
We all just saw this on vivid display—and it is inspiring.
I mentioned a little earlier how our women’s lacrosse team earned two hard-fought victories in my old stomping grounds of Cambridge.
I was born and raised in Boston. I spent most of my adult life there, before coming here to Gettysburg. So, you can imagine that I’m a pretty avid Boston Red Sox fan.
To be clear, being a Red Sox fan wasn’t easy growing up. That’s because they were cursed my whole life! And that curse extended all the way back to 1919 when they traded away Babe Ruth—the best ballplayer to ever live—to our archrival Yankees for $100,000 cash and a $300,000 loan.
Now, I don’t believe in ghosts. I’ve had an office in Penn Hall for seven years and I haven’t seen one yet. But I unequivocally believe in curses, because I saw it with my own eyes—and it took the form of a slow dribbler going through the legs of Bill Buckner.
If you don’t know who or what I’m talking about, it’s probably for the best. You can always YouTube it after the ceremony.
All said, by the time the 21st century rolled around, no matter how much talent the Sox stockpiled on their roster, it felt like there was a constant dark cloud hovering over the team. And in the biggest moments, all that could go wrong, would go wrong.
Fast forward to 2004. The Red Sox advanced all the way to the American League Championship Series. It was their best season in decades. But who did they run into other than their dreaded rivals, the Yankees.
The Sox were down three games to none and found themselves trailing in Game 4.
Bottom of the nineth. Down one run. Three outs away from being swept, yet again.
On the mound was Mariano Rivera—only the most dominant closer in the history of baseball. So, the situation was looking about as bleak as a student entering Prof. Birker’s final exam without studying. Not good.
Following a walk, out of the dugout came Dave Roberts.
Roberts wasn’t an MVP. He wasn’t a starter. He was a pinch runner off the bench.
Roberts is what sports fans call a “Glue Guy”—the kind of teammate who may not be an All-Star, but who holds the team together by being the person they are.
I’m sure you know a few Gettysburgians on your team who are “Glue Guys”—bringing positive energy to practice every day, supporting others without taking credit, doing the gritty work that leads to victory, building trust and shifting the team’s mindset from “me” to “we.”
When Robert arrived at first base, everyone in the stadium knew he was going to try to steal second base—and yet, he somehow did it anyway. Fenway Park went absolutely berserk, especially his fellow teammates. The “Glue Guy” stepped up big and gave his friends a chance. The dark clouds above the team finally parted. Indeed, it was the spark the team needed.
The Red Sox went on to win that game and come all the way back from three games to none to win the series and ultimately earn their first World Series Championship since 1918, breaking the Curse of the Bambino.
So, on the day of your graduation, why do I share this story? What can we learn from the “Glue Guys” on our own teams—whether in sport or in the organizations you’ll enter in this first chapter of your careers?
I share it because, in many ways, our world needs more “Glue Guys”—more teammates who make everyone around them better.
Teammates who notice when a colleague is struggling. Teammates who take it upon themselves to build them back up. Teammates who understand that a team is never just about one player who scores the goals, wins the draws, makes the saves, or gets the headlines.
A team is built by those who put others above themselves for the good of a shared goal.
This is true in lacrosse. It’s true in business. It’s true here at Gettysburg. And it’s true in your own families. Sunday was Mother’s Day—just ask your mothers and grandmothers!
This is the kind of leadership we need in our families, our workplaces, and our communities—not leadership measured by titles or positions, but leadership measured by impact. Leadership measured by whether your teammates feel more hopeful, more confident, and more capable because you’re there — believing in them.
At Gettysburg, we talk a lot about leading lives of consequence. As you prepare to leave this College and step out into the world, commit to being this kind of teammate to those in your life. A person others can count on.
If you do this, I have no doubt you will live the best of what Gettysburg has taught you: that a life of consequence is about not only what we achieve—and this team has achieved a lot—but by how we lift one another up along the way.
Having seen this team in action, I know you will.
Once again, my heartiest congratulations on this important milestone in your life. Good luck in your upcoming games, though regardless of the results, just know that you have made this entire campus proud.
Congratulations!
The Charge
As you prepare to step out into the world as Gettysburg College graduates, remember that this is not the end. Rather, it is the beginning.
Remember the message of the great Latin American author Eduardo Galeano, shared with us earlier today, and I quote: “We are what we do in order to change who we are.”
Prof. Radost Rangelova’s moving comments underscore that you are ready to contribute to your communities and to our broader world. You are ready to “take the next step.”
So, my charge to you is simply this: Be all in.
Dedicate yourself to being a great teammate—a “Glue Guy”—in every facet of your life. The kind of neighbor, colleague, and friend others can count on.
Challenge yourself to take what you’ve learned here and apply it to something bigger than yourself—your knowledge, your skills, your influence, always in service to those who need you.
And give fully of yourself to your relationships, to your careers, and to the causes that have been in search of your talents and drive—in search of you.
Class of 2026, we believe in you.
At this time, I would ask our graduates to please stand.
Graduates, our entire campus will be cheering for you this week. You have represented the Orange and Blue with pride and integrity.
On behalf of all of us here at Gettysburg College, I offer you our very best wishes.
Families, friends, and guests, it is now my privilege to present our Gettysburg College graduates of the Class of 2026!
Congratulations—and Do Great Work!