2026 Commencement Speakers
2026 Commencement Speakers
CAS Commencement Ceremonies Set for May 8
Three outstanding graduating seniors from Loyola University Chicago’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) have been selected to address their peers as part of the three CAS Commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 8, 2026. Juan Bahena, graduating with a BA in Political Science, will address the 9 a.m. ceremony; William “Billy” Wade, graduating with a BA in Psychology, will address the 1 p.m. ceremony; and Simbiat Odetola, a pre-med student, will address the 5 p.m. ceremony.
“Our student speakers embody the values of a Jesuit, liberal arts education, which includes thoughtful reflection, meaningful engagement, and a deep commitment to others,” said Peter J. Schraeder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “We are proud to have them share their insights and experiences with the College of Arts and Sciences community during this important milestone in their lives. I also want to thank the selection committee for their care and dedication in choosing and supporting this year’s speakers.”
An overview of departments and interdisciplinary programs with their corresponding College of Arts and Sciences Commencement Ceremony can be found here.
Each ceremony will be live streamed, and more information, including alumni keynote speakers, can be found on the LUC Commencement homepage.
See below for more information on the 2026 Commencement student speakers.
JUAN BAHENA
Major: Political Science
Commencement: 9 a.m. Ceremony
Juan Bahena is a first-generation Mexican American from the southwest side of Chicago. From a young age, he was taught the value of education and hard work, which shaped his decision to attend Loyola after participating in a middle school math program on campus. Inspired by the University’s efforts to achieve Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status, he remained committed to his education even as he pursued military service.
After graduating from high school, Bahena enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Signal Support System Specialist, completing his training before returning to Loyola. While at the University, he joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and will commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps in the Illinois Army National Guard upon graduation. He will graduate with a BA in Political Science.
WILLIAM “BILLY” WADE
Major: Psychology
Commencement: 1 p.m. Ceremony
William “Billy” Wade is graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Catholic Studies. His academic interests center on the intersection of brain and behavior, a passion that has grown through his research experiences. A two-time Mulcahy Research Fellow in the Memory and Neuromodulatory Mechanisms Lab, Wade has also expanded his clinical research interests through work with the Chicago Police Department’s 24th District.
Through his Catholic Studies minor, Wade has engaged deeply with Loyola’s Jesuit mission, participating in Hank Center-sponsored programs in Vatican City, France, and Japan. Outside the classroom, he is an amateur pipe organist and enjoys mountaineering in the White Mountains of his home state, New Hampshire.
SIMBIAT ODETOLA
Major: Biology
Commencement: 5 p.m. Ceremony
Simbiat Odetola is a dedicated pre-med student whose academic journey has been shaped by a deep passion for science, service, and compassionate care. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, she brings a strong appreciation for culture, resilience, and community, which informs her work both on and off campus.
At Loyola, Odetola has distinguished herself as a leader and advocate, serving as Secretary of the Bioethics Club and as a peer health educator with Wellness Wolfpack, where she promotes health equity, mental well-being, and harm reduction. Through her involvement at the St. Thomas of Canterbury Soup Kitchen, she has built meaningful relationships while serving others.
As a research intern with the American Heart Association at Northwestern University, Odetola has explored her interest in cardiology while developing skills in clinical research and analysis. Known for her warmth and ability to connect with others, she plans to pursue a career in medicine, with a focus on providing compassionate, patient-centered care
About the College of Arts and Sciences
Founded in 1870, the College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges, serving as the academic home for nearly 8,000 students (roughly 50 percent of Loyola’s total student population). It is academically diverse with twenty academic departments that span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. It is also highly interdisciplinary with thirty-one interdisciplinary programs and seven interdisciplinary centers, including the mission-centric Jesuit Heritage Research Center and the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage. The College is home to over 450 full-time, award-winning faculty, who are committed to teaching and research excellence. They teach nearly 2,000 classes each semester, including 88 percent of all Core Curriculum classes taken by undergraduate students across the university. They also contribute to eleven doctoral programs whose graduates have helped propel Loyola starting in 2025 to R-1 research status (the highest research status a university can achieve). Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our John Felice Rome Center in Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever-deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”
Three outstanding graduating seniors from Loyola University Chicago’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) have been selected to address their peers as part of the three CAS Commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 8, 2026. Juan Bahena, graduating with a BA in Political Science, will address the 9 a.m. ceremony; William “Billy” Wade, graduating with a BA in Psychology, will address the 1 p.m. ceremony; and Simbiat Odetola, a pre-med student, will address the 5 p.m. ceremony.
“Our student speakers embody the values of a Jesuit, liberal arts education, which includes thoughtful reflection, meaningful engagement, and a deep commitment to others,” said Peter J. Schraeder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “We are proud to have them share their insights and experiences with the College of Arts and Sciences community during this important milestone in their lives. I also want to thank the selection committee for their care and dedication in choosing and supporting this year’s speakers.”
An overview of departments and interdisciplinary programs with their corresponding College of Arts and Sciences Commencement Ceremony can be found here.
Each ceremony will be live streamed, and more information, including alumni keynote speakers, can be found on the LUC Commencement homepage.
See below for more information on the 2026 Commencement student speakers.
JUAN BAHENA
Major: Political Science
Commencement: 9 a.m. Ceremony
Juan Bahena is a first-generation Mexican American from the southwest side of Chicago. From a young age, he was taught the value of education and hard work, which shaped his decision to attend Loyola after participating in a middle school math program on campus. Inspired by the University’s efforts to achieve Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status, he remained committed to his education even as he pursued military service.
After graduating from high school, Bahena enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Signal Support System Specialist, completing his training before returning to Loyola. While at the University, he joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and will commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps in the Illinois Army National Guard upon graduation. He will graduate with a BA in Political Science.
WILLIAM “BILLY” WADE
Major: Psychology
Commencement: 1 p.m. Ceremony
William “Billy” Wade is graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Catholic Studies. His academic interests center on the intersection of brain and behavior, a passion that has grown through his research experiences. A two-time Mulcahy Research Fellow in the Memory and Neuromodulatory Mechanisms Lab, Wade has also expanded his clinical research interests through work with the Chicago Police Department’s 24th District.
Through his Catholic Studies minor, Wade has engaged deeply with Loyola’s Jesuit mission, participating in Hank Center-sponsored programs in Vatican City, France, and Japan. Outside the classroom, he is an amateur pipe organist and enjoys mountaineering in the White Mountains of his home state, New Hampshire.
SIMBIAT ODETOLA
Major: Biology
Commencement: 5 p.m. Ceremony
Simbiat Odetola is a dedicated pre-med student whose academic journey has been shaped by a deep passion for science, service, and compassionate care. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, she brings a strong appreciation for culture, resilience, and community, which informs her work both on and off campus.
At Loyola, Odetola has distinguished herself as a leader and advocate, serving as Secretary of the Bioethics Club and as a peer health educator with Wellness Wolfpack, where she promotes health equity, mental well-being, and harm reduction. Through her involvement at the St. Thomas of Canterbury Soup Kitchen, she has built meaningful relationships while serving others.
As a research intern with the American Heart Association at Northwestern University, Odetola has explored her interest in cardiology while developing skills in clinical research and analysis. Known for her warmth and ability to connect with others, she plans to pursue a career in medicine, with a focus on providing compassionate, patient-centered care
About the College of Arts and Sciences
Founded in 1870, the College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges, serving as the academic home for nearly 8,000 students (roughly 50 percent of Loyola’s total student population). It is academically diverse with twenty academic departments that span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. It is also highly interdisciplinary with thirty-one interdisciplinary programs and seven interdisciplinary centers, including the mission-centric Jesuit Heritage Research Center and the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage. The College is home to over 450 full-time, award-winning faculty, who are committed to teaching and research excellence. They teach nearly 2,000 classes each semester, including 88 percent of all Core Curriculum classes taken by undergraduate students across the university. They also contribute to eleven doctoral programs whose graduates have helped propel Loyola starting in 2025 to R-1 research status (the highest research status a university can achieve). Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our John Felice Rome Center in Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever-deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”