President Hardin salutes graduating students with Class of 2026 toast

May 05, 2026

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More than 400 graduating students from throughout Quinnipiac kicked off Commencement week with a class toast on Monday afternoon in the Pasquale “Pat” Abbate ’58 Alumni House and Gardens. President Marie Hardin read an original poem to the graduating students before raising her glass to each of them for their accomplishments. Cricket and Henry, area therapy dogs, also were on hand to help ease some of the pre-Commencement jitters.

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<h1 class="theconversation-article-title">President Hardin salutes graduating students with Class of 2026 toast</h1>

<p>More than 400 graduating students from throughout Quinnipiac kicked off Commencement week with a class toast on Monday afternoon in the Pasquale “Pat” Abbate ’58 Alumni House and Gardens. President Marie Hardin read an original poem to the graduating students before raising her glass to each of them for their accomplishments. Cricket and Henry, area therapy dogs, also were on hand to help ease some of the pre-Commencement jitters.</p>

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<p><img src="https://www.qu.edu/4993f2/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-015.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/4993f3/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-017.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/4992fa/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-003.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/49931b/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-005.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/49933a/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-007.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/499357/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-008.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/49934f/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-009.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/49938b/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-011.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/499376/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-010.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/4992f7/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-002.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/49931e/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-004.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/4993aa/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-012.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"><img src="https://www.qu.edu/4993af/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-014.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"> <img src="https://www.qu.edu/49933b/globalassets/global/media/qu/galleries/1_today/2026-class-toast/20260504-1280x720-class-toast-006.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720"></p>
<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://today.qu.edu/">Quinnipiac Today</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://today.qu.edu/2026-class-toast-2026-05-05/">original article</a>.</p>
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