Elizabethtown College Announces 2026 Commencement Student Speaker

Alysse Smith, who will continue her education at the Howard University College of Medicine, will address classmates and guests at Etown’s Commencement ceremony on May 9

Alysse Smith ’26 has been selected to serve as Elizabethtown College’s 2026 Commencement student speaker. A Biology major with a Health Professions concentration and minors in Spanish and Chemistry from Silver Spring, Md. / Wheaton High School, Smith will address her classmates and guests for the 123rd exercises on Saturday, May 9, at 10 a.m., held in the Dell located on the College’s campus.

Recently named the recipient of the 2025–26 Points of Distinction Award, the highest Student Life honor at Etown, Smith was chosen from a pool of senior applicants who submitted and presented a draft of their speeches for consideration.

The audition process was conducted by a selection committee composed of student and employee representatives.

About Alysse Smith ’26

Smith is an engaged leader on campus who is passionate about amplifying voices and inspiring meaningful change. She has served on executive cabinets for both the Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) and the Honors Program, and is actively involved as a Blue Jay Ambassador, Peer Mentor, Peer Tutor, and Ubuntu Mentor.

As a Stamps Scholar, Smith completed a medical internship in Cusco, Peru, during her sophomore year, expanding her understanding of global healthcare and service.

Her academic achievements include receiving a competitive grant from the TriBeta Research Foundation to support her undergraduate research project, “Establishing Reliable DNA Extraction Methods for Microbial Analysis of Embalmed Cadaveric Gastrointestinal Tissues,” conducted with Professor of Biology Debra Wohl and Professor of Biological Anthropology Elizabeth Newell.

Following graduation, Smith will continue her education at the Howard University College of Medicine.

Elizabethtown College’s Commencement ceremony will honor graduates of all six of its Schools, including the School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS). The ceremony will also be livestreamed on etown.edu.