‘The Future Is Waiting’: Providence Commencement Highlights

This year’s Commencement ceremony opened with Providence Campus President Joseph Greene ’89, ’98 M.S., CPA reflecting on the richness of his 30-year JWU career: “I’m a born-and-raised Rhode Islander, and I grew up right here in Providence — on the South Side and west end — in a working-class family,” he explained. After graduating from Central High School, Greene didn’t go to college immediately, but went right to work.

Eventually, he ended up at CCRI and took a job at JWU, where he quickly felt at home. Thanks to a mentor who complimented his ability to see the big picture, Greene stayed at JWU and began focusing on projects connecting finance to student success — making sure students could stay enrolled, ensuring programs were properly resourced and supporting the people who make the university run. Zeroing in on the importance of mentorship, he noted: “I always knew my work wasn’t just about budgets; it was about opening doors. And once you’ve had someone open a door for you, you feel responsibility to hold it open for others.”

That big-hearted willingness to give back is a JWU touchstone that echoed throughout Saturday’s graduate and undergraduate Commencement ceremonies. Some highlights:

Providence Campus President Joseph Greene ’89, ’98 M.S., CPA:

I hope that as each of you look back on your time at JWU, you celebrate happy memories, transformative education, and also, I hope that you remember the hard lessons, the challenges that you overcame, and most of all, you remember who you are right now, at this moment. You will change and grow over time but this version of yourself will always be a wonderful touchpoint for who you will become.

JWU isn’t just where I built a career — it’s part of my family’s story, too. Both of my children have Johnson & Wales degrees, and so do other members of my extended family. I’ve been an employee, a student, an alum and a parent here, which means I understand — personally — what it takes to get to this day, and how life-changing this moment can be.

When I look back, I’m grateful for every detour — because each one taught me something I couldn’t have learned any other way: how to work hard, how to embrace opportunities, how to ask for help, and how to keep going when the road gets steep.

And that’s why your moment today matters so much. Many of you arrived here with your own detours — changing majors, changing jobs, changing plans, caring for family, balancing work shifts and your studies, learning to believe in yourselves. You didn’t just earn a credential. You proved you can build a future — even when life doesn’t follow a straight line.

Graduate Student Speaker Andrea Hernandez ’01, ’26 M.S.:

Ahead of you is a world that is complicated, fast-changing, and challenging. Yup! The world sounds like one big ole group project, where not everyone is pulling their weight. But it’s also an invitation. Because this world needs more people like you, who are bold, curious, and willing to say, “I don’t know yet — but I’ll learn.” Today is a celebration of resilience and tenacity.

Graduates, you are all capable of making significant footprints on this Earth — not by being perfect but by persisting. So, ask questions, challenge old ways of thinking, and lift others as you climb. Your footprint doesn’t have to be the biggest, it just has to be intentional, meaningful.

You are all proof that resilience leaves a mark. So, wherever you go next, leave a footprint that states, “I was here. I tried and I made things better.”

Alumni Speaker Katelyn Larsson ’17 PA:

Today is a moment you’ve been working toward for years. It represents early mornings, late nights, a lot of caffeine, and at least a few moments where you questioned your life choices — usually around exam week. But through it all, you showed up, you pushed through, and you made it. That is no small accomplishment.

I remember sitting where you are now — excited, a little uncertain, and wondering, “Am I actually ready for this?”

One thing I wish I fully understood back then is this: As new graduates, you are not behind — you are incredibly well-prepared. In fact, you have something many others don’t: the most up-to-date knowledge, fresh perspectives and the ability to see opportunities where others see routine. I like to think of it as a kind of professional superpower. And like any superpower, you get to decide how you use it.

Now, does that mean you’ll walk into your first job and immediately have all the answers? Definitely not. (If you do, please let the rest of us know your secret.) But it does mean you bring real value from day one.

Your ideas matter. Your voice matters. And sometimes, asking the right question is just as powerful as having the right answer.

Graduate Keynote Aby Alexander ’26 Hon.:

You do not need a title to make an impact. You need initiative, discipline, and courage.

Success rarely comes in one giant leap. It comes through setbacks, lessons, resilience and persistence.

So graduates, know this: You are entering the world at exactly the right time. You hold tools previous generations could only dream of. You have the chance to shape industries, communities, and lives. What matters now is not what the world gives you. What matters is what you give the world.

Undergraduate Student Speaker Madeline Stange ’26:

For those of us in culinary and baking & pastry, weve heard it since day one. Keep your station clean. Keep your mise en place tight. Chefs instilled that mindset in us from the beginning.

And they were right. Preparation matters. Discipline matters. But even in the most precise kitchen, there is creativity. You test a new flavor. You try again when it does not work. Growth is not always perfectly lined up on a stainless-steel table. It is hands-on. It is active. And that is where the magic happens.

As JWU graduates, we each step into the world carrying a piece of this place with us. On our own, we shine. But together, we sparkle brighter. That is the power of community. That is the power of JWU.

Alumni Speaker Branden Lewis, Ed.D., ’04, ’06 MBA, CEC:

I have the unique privilege of standing here not only as an alumnus, but also as a faculty member. Years ago, I sat where you are now — excited, uncertain, and hopeful about what came next. Today, I have the opportunity to teach, mentor, and learn alongside many of you, which makes this moment especially meaningful.

My time at JWU, much like yours, was shaped by both challenge and discovery. There were moments when things didn’t go as planned — when recipes failed, timelines slipped, or the path forward wasn’t clear. 

And now, standing on the other side of it, I get to see those same moments play out every day in our classrooms and kitchens. I watch you problem-solve in real time, support each other, and turn setbacks into progress — and I can tell you, that’s the part that’s truly inspiring.

Those moments are where the real learning happens. They teach you to adapt, to stay curious, and to keep moving forward. That’s what JWU gives you — not just skills, but the mindset to take on whatever comes next.

Undergraduate Keynote Speaker Johan Grahn ’02, ’26 Hon.:

I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to President Greene. His story is remarkable and, in my opinion, he is possibly the coolest president a university could ask for. 

It’s amazing how much has changed and how much has been invested in the student experience and educational quality since I was here. You are all in an intellectually better starting position than I was when I graduated about a quarter century ago. So, congratulations to all of you and big props to JWU for putting the students first in all that you do.

There is a quote from a Viking saga that I have referred to many times throughout my career that goes like this: “Often times it is not numbers that wins the victory, but those who fare forward with the most vigor.”

I have found it true in my career that the smaller but highly dedicated teams are often the ones that deliver the victories — and I owe much of my own success to these teams.

As you go through your own careers, you will all individually do great things as you apply your resilience and grit and push to find your own limits, I have no doubt about that — but remember that your victories, however you define them, will be greatly impacted by the vigor of the team around you. So, build vigor into your teams, and you will find your victories to be ever grander.

Joseph Greene:

So, Class of 2026, today is not the end of your story — it’s the moment you begin writing it on purpose. The world you’re graduating into is changing fast, but the strengths you’ve developed here — practice, professionalism, creativity and grit — are timeless.

Andrea Hernandez:

Graduates, we did it. Cheers to being over-qualified and under-rested. You earned this moment. Celebrate it — and put those letters after your name everywhere you possibly can.

Aby Alexander:

Congratulations, graduates. The future is waiting. And it has your name on it.

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