From May 29–31, Linfield University will celebrate the Class of 2026 with a weekend of commencement and affinity celebrations recognizing academic achievement, personal growth and the communities that supported students along the way.
Throughout the weekend, graduates will hear from award-winning filmmakers, alumni leaders, trustees and student advocates as they mark the culmination of their Linfield journeys and prepare for what comes next.
Award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Gregory Nava will deliver the keynote address during Linfield’s Spring 2026 Commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 31. Nava earned an Academy Award nomination in 1983 for Best Original Screenplay for “El Norte,” widely regarded as a landmark independent film. He later wrote and directed “Selena,” starring Jennifer Lopez, which earned Golden Globe and MTV Movie Award nominations and won four American Latino Media Arts Awards. In 2006, Nava produced, wrote and directed “Bordertown,” inspired by the unsolved murders of women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Barbara Martinez Jitner will serve as guest speaker for Linfield’s Latine Celebration on Saturday, May 30. Martinez Jitner gained international recognition as executive producer of the Emmy-nominated television series “American Family,” the first Latino family drama broadcast on network television when it premiered in 2002. She also wrote the critically acclaimed premiere episode. Martinez Jitner later served as executive producer of “Bordertown.” The film drew from her experiences working undercover in factories in Juárez, Mexico.
Additional Commencement Weekend speakers and participants include:
- Gerardo Ochoa, higher education executive and nonprofit founder, as keynote speaker for the Latine Celebration.
- Sara Gomez Horta ’17, member of the Linfield University Board of Trustees, as emcee for the Latinx Celebration.
- Hannah Fisher ’19, Linfield’s director of student care and support, as keynote speaker for the Lavender Celebration.
- Marie Noussi, associate professor of French and Francophone studies at Linfield, as keynote speaker for the Black Excellence Ceremony and Asian and Pacific Islander Senior Stole Ceremony
Linfield’s Spring Pinning Ceremony — held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 31 — recognizes graduating nursing students completing a nursing degree through the Master’s Entry into Professional Nursing program, accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program or traditional BSN program. Students from each program will speak at the ceremony, celebrating their classmates as they prepare to enter the healthcare profession.
Commencement Weekend events celebrate the accomplishments, resilience and leadership of the Class of 2026 while highlighting the many communities that have shaped students’ experiences at Linfield. Learn more about Commencement Weekend activities at https://www.linfield.edu/commencement.
