St. John’s University held its first-ever Graduation Fair on April 13 in the D’Angelo Center, giving nearly 200 soon-to-be graduates a one-stop stop for Commencement 2026 information as the class of 2026 prepares to become St. John’s alumni.

The fair, a collaboration between the Office of Alumni Relations and Student Government, Inc., brought together details on the May 17 undergraduate ceremony, alumni perks and benefits, University Career Services resources and graduate school opportunities. Students also picked up class of 2026 sweaters, diploma cases and scholarship cords, and had a chance to thank scholarship donors as well as their parents and families.

For Jorge Velez, an advertising communications and public relations major from the Bronx, NY, the day made the transition feel real. He said it was “super fast,” and added that the memories he made with friends were “incredible,” noting that it is hard to believe he will be an alumnus in a short time. Kristen Pooran, a marketing student who has already been offered a position as a marketing and communications manager with a magazine publisher, said it “does not feel real” and that it feels like she started at St. John’s just last week.

Other students were thinking about how much of the milestone belongs to the people around them. Aleena Alduenda, who will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology as part of a five-year, dual-degree program, said graduating is “a huge accomplishment” but also a reflection of her family, adding that it was not only her hard work, but the work of those who supported her. Giselle Suarez, a graduating biology student, said the help of alumni, faculty, staff and administration at St. John’s helped set her on a path toward a career as a physician assistant.

Beatriz Vera said the point of the event was to build that community early, creating a pipeline between the school and its alumni and showing students the value of being a St. John’s graduate. That message now heads into the University’s Undergraduate-Level Commencement Exercises on Sunday, May 17, at 10 a.m. on the Great Lawn, where the class will officially begin life as St. John’s alumni.