Events
Nearly 2,000 Graduates Celebrate Commencement
Grads Move Toward Careers and Four-Year Degrees
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 8, 2026) – Wake Tech Community College celebrated the achievements of nearly 2,000 graduates during Spring Commencement ceremonies on Friday, honoring students who earned associate degrees or diplomas and now step confidently into the workforce or continue their education at four‑year universities.
- Watch: Video highlights
Hundreds of graduates filled Conlon Hall at Scott Northern Wake Campus across four commencement ceremonies, walking across the stage to shake hands with President Dr. Scott Ralls and celebrate years of hard work, perseverance and academic success. Graduates represent 127 countries and range in age from 16 to 60, including nearly 400 first‑generation college students.
"Commencement is more than a celebration of academic achievement. It marks the resilience, leadership and purpose our students discovered along the way," Ralls said. "Our graduates are prepared not just to make a living, but to make a difference in their communities. Congratulations, Class of 2026. We are very proud of you."
Graduates are entering high‑demand fields such as information technology, biotechnology, health care, skilled trades and public safety, while nearly half of the Class of 2026 plans to transfer to universities to pursue bachelor's degrees.
Among the graduates is Christopher Mades, who proudly crossed the stage, marking a milestone shaped by resilience and determination. Despite living with the effects of a traumatic brain injury, the 25‑year‑old persevered with support from Wake Tech's online learning options, Disability Support Services staff and his instructors. He earned his Associate in Arts degree and is now considering East Carolina University or Appalachian State University for his bachelor's degree.
"Little by little, Christopher has unlocked his potential, and there's no limit to what he can do," said his father, Bob Mades.
Another graduate, Hani Safadi, highlights the opportunities available through Wake Tech's Career & College Promise dual‑enrollment program. Ranked first in his class at Cary High School, Safadi is graduating with an Associate in Science degree, an Associate in Arts degree and a Business Administration certificate, making him the first CCP student at Wake Tech to earn three college credentials. While balancing high school and college coursework, he served as a Student Government Association senator, was named a Scholar of Global Distinction and participated in the Honors Program and Phi Theta Kappa.
"My Wake Tech journey has pushed me beyond what I thought was possible," said Safadi.
"As a dual enrollment student, I had to balance the expectations of both high school and college, often in spaces where there was little precedent. That challenge motivated me to take full advantage of every opportunity available."
Safadi will continue his academic journey at Stanford University, where he plans to study bioengineering and biomedical computation, with a focus on innovation in health care and technology. He is one of 58 graduates who participated in the CCP program.
Spring graduates also included 155 students who earned college degrees while attending Wake County Cooperative Innovative High Schools, including North Wake College & Career Academy, Wake Early College of Health & Science, Wake Early College of Information & Biotechnologies and Vernon Malone College & Career Academy.
Student commencement speakers, including Sehyun Park, shared remarks that reflected the diversity, determination and ambition of Wake Tech's student body. Park, an international student from South Korea, spoke about rebuilding her confidence in math after enrolling at Wake Tech. Through persistence and support, she completed both Associate in Science and Associate in Engineering degrees and earned multiple achievement awards. Park was highly engaged in campus leadership, serving as a math tutor, New Student Orientation leader and Mechanical Engineering Technology lab technician.
"Coming to the United States and choosing to start over at Wake Tech gave me a second chance," Park said. "I learned math from the very beginning, step by step. The person who once ran away from numbers is now preparing to become an engineer."
Park plans to transfer to North Carolina State University to pursue a bachelor's degree in computer science.
The commencement ceremonies were livestreamed and are available for viewing at graduation.waketech.edu.
The day before commencement, special pinning ceremonies were held at the Perry Health Sciences Campus to honor graduates entering the health care workforce, including students in Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technology, Neurodiagnostic Technology, Radiography, Medical Sonography and Dental Hygiene.
Wake Tech offers programs in 13 career fields, including advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, business, construction and maintenance, education, engineering, health care and wellness, information and digital technology, and public safety.
New students can apply now at apply.waketech.edu. The Fall semester begins Aug. 17.
