2026 Benedictine College Commencement Honors Past and Future
As graduates looked with excitement to the future, honorary degree recipients reflected on their life experiences and their advice for the next generation. The 54th Annual Commencement Exercises at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, saw 472 seniors walk across the stage on Saturday, May 16, to receive their diplomas and head out into the world. Those at the undergraduate ceremony heard an inspiring speech from Peter Cancro, founder and Chairman of the Board of Jersey Mike’s, a national chain of sandwich restaurants, who was the event’s keynote speaker.
The event also recognized Alex Lynch, a senior who succumbed to cancer just one week before Commencement, by presenting his framed diploma to his parents. Many of the graduating students also wore yellow ribbons on their robes in his memory.
(See a highlight video of the weekend here or below. Go to the online Commencement page for highlights, complete speeches, videos and photo galleries of all Commencement traditions.)
Peter Cancro at the podium during the 2026 Benedictine College Commencement.
Cancro talked about his background and experience as a business owner, beginning when he was only 17. As a senior in high school in 1975, he had the opportunity to purchase the sandwich shop, Mike’s Subs, where he had been working throughout high school. He gave up a potential college football career and degree, got a loan, and went into business.
In 1983, he changed the name of the company to Jersey Mike’s and began his national expansion. Today, there are more than 3,000 locations open and in development with over $4 billion in systemwide annual sales and Jersey Mike’s is the #1 franchise in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500.
“Peter’s business philosophy is inseparable from his belief in giving back to the community, as evidenced by Jersey Mike’s Annual “Month of Giving,” said President of Benedictine College Stephen D. Minnis.
The annual fundraiser culminates in a “Day of Giving,” the last Wednesday of March each year, when Jersey Mike’s franchise owners donate 100 percent of the day’s sales, not just profit, to local charities across the country. Since its inception 15 years ago, Jersey Mike’s “Month of Giving” has raised almost $143 million for local charities.
“So, take chances, bet on yourself, work hard, listen to people who believe in you, and did I say work hard,” Cancro told the graduates. “There will be times when opportunities seem limited, and your future seems a bit uncertain, but keep showing up. Keep believing. Keep working. Opportunities will find you.
“You know you can do it,” he continued. “You are graduates of Benedictine College!”
Cancro received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Benedictine. Two other noted individuals, Mary Ann Carney Skolaut and Marcie Stokman, also received honorary degrees during the ceremony.
Mary Ann Carney Skolaut is congratulated by Benedictine College President Stephen D. Minnis upon receiving her honorary degree.
Skolaut had started her college education in 1947 at Mount St. Scholastica College (now Benedictine College) but had to leave in 1948 to care for her family after her father died. She went on to be the mother of six children, had a tremendous business career as the first female Pizza Hut franchisee, and founded A Better Choice, the first pro-life pregnancy care center in Wichita, Kansas, which has provided free resources and education to pregnant women for more than 30 years. Thirty members of Skolaut’s family were present to see her receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, including her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Benedictine College President Stephen D. Minnis (L) and Chairman of the Board Mike Kuckelman present an honorary degree to Marcie Stokman during the 2026 Commencement Exercizes.
Stokman is an educator, author, and cultural leader. She is the founder of The Well-Read Mom, which now has over 14,000 members comprising 1,000 groups in all 50 states and 12 countries. Her work has inspired thousands of women to reclaim the rich tradition of deep reading as a means of fostering personal growth, friendship, and meaningful conversations.
“And so, graduates, your education is not ending. It’s just beginning. And I urge you to keep the cry in your heart alive. Keep seeking. Keep asking. Stay close to the giver of life. And let your life be a gift to others,” Stokman said in her brief acceptance.
Dr. Kimberly Shankman, Dean of the College, directed the annual exercise, which began with a prayer from Sister Linda Herndon, Vice-Provost of the College and a member of the Mount St. Scholastica community, one of the College’s founding institutions.
Benedictine Valedictorians (L-R) Antonia Smith, James Krishnan Myjak, and Kristine Schueller.
This year featured three Valedictorians: James Krishnan Myjak from Atchison, Kansas, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science; Kristine Schueller from Last Chance, Colorado, graduating with Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Management; and Antonia Smith from Saint Charles, Minnesota, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design.
During the proceedings, President Minnis announced the annual Fran Jabara Leadership Award winners. Each year, the award is given to select graduating seniors at each private, four-year college in Kansas. The award indicates the high level of ability the recipients have displayed as well as the respect with which their peers and teachers view them. This year, the Jabara Leadership Awards went to Catherine Toerber, from Blue Rapids, Kansas, who graduated with degrees in Management and Marketing; Mary Clare Waldron, from Manassas, Virginia, who graduated with a degree in Politics and Government; Gabriel Jones, from Tonganoxie, Kansas, who graduated with a degree in Management; and his twin brother Nathaniel Jones, from Tonganoxie, Kansas, who graduated with a degree in Finance.
Jack Figge, a Political Science and Theology major from St. Louis, Missouri, received the Transforming Culture in America Award for his tireless efforts to transform culture through his journalistic ability and numerous publications in national Catholic media. Figge had also walked the week before in the Graduate Commencement and received his hood for his Master in Business Administration. He now plans to enter Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in the St. Louis area.
“Jack has blossomed as a great Catholic journalist during his time at Benedictine, having written for the The Pillar, National Catholic Register, OSV News, The Washington Examiner and multiple diocesan outlets,” said President Minnis. “His work has taken him across the country and world to cover stories in places like Israel, Italy, Portugal and Alaska.”
Those graduates who are discerning religious vocations were also recognized. President Minnis called Sister Mary James Becker, Jack Figge, Aiden McCoy, Jon Schoening, Gabriel Mayday, and Matthew Wilson the “next leaders of the Catholic Church.”
President Minnis also recognized students and those in the audience who were veterans or active duty in the military.
“This great country of ours is an inspiration to other nations as we continue to affirm the ideals of our founders – ideals that have made us the greatest nation on earth, the “United States of America,” he said. “Benedictine College values these ideals, and we choose to stand by them. In consideration of those founding ideals, we especially appreciate those who have risked everything to defend them.
Students who have or will be commissioned as officers in the various branches of the military were recognized on stage. They included: William Breen – U.S. Army; Samuel Hood – U.S. Army; Daniel Rickey – U.S. Army; Michael Vankirk – U.S. Army; John Beerer – U.S. Marine Corps; John Paul Hoopes – U.S. Marine Corps; Angelina Postel – U.S. Marine Corps; Paul Boever – U.S. Air Force; Jake Schuberg – U.S. Air Force; Grace Benitez – U.S. Navy; and Luca Nicotra – U.S. Navy.
The ceremony concluded with graduating Music major Mary Nacanaynay singing the Benedictine College Alma Mater, O Lord of Ev’ry Blessing, followed by the closing prayer from Abbot James Albers, OSB, from St. Benedict’s Abbey.
The day before Commencement featured the traditional photo of graduates around the Benedictine “B” in front of the Haverty Center. That was followed by the March of Light, a procession up the Raven Walk, through the Grotto and into the Abbey Church for Baccalaureate Mass. The Most Reverend Joseph Naumann, Archbishop Emeritus of Kansas City in Kansas, was the principal celebrant and homilist for the Mass.
Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is honored to have received a top 10 ranking by U.S. News & World Report, to be ranked in the nation’s 10 most-recommended by The Wall Street Journal, and named one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by the Newman Guide. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. Benedictine College is dedicated to Transforming Culture in America through its mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.
