Three commencement speakers share the advice they gave the Class of 2026

Commencement speeches are meant to mark an ending and a beginning. And the best ones offer wisdom that lasts beyond graduation day.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three Minnesotans who were commencement speakers this year about the messages they shared with graduates and what the rest of us can learn from them.

Guests:

• Myles Frueh earned his associate’s degree from Alexandria Technical and Community College in May and was a student speaker at the school’s 2026 commencement ceremony. He double-majored in business management and sales marketing, was vice president of the student senate and was a campus tour guide. He also serves as a vice president for Collegiate DECA, an international nonprofit that prepares high school and college students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.

• Maria Reeve is the executive director of culture and careers at The Minnesota Star Tribune. Prior to her current role, she was a managing editor for the newsroom. Before that, she was the executive editor for the Houston Chronicle. And she was a reporter and editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press for 19 years. She delivered the 2026 commencement address for the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

• Della Schall Young is the CEO and principal hydrologist of Young Environmental Consulting Group, a Minnesota-based environmental consulting firm specializing in water resources, stormwater management, and environmental planning. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota and was invited back this year to give the undergraduate commencement address.

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